Towers in the Sky 1960–1979

By Clive Turner

Showing how the period contributed to modern thinking and design. First published by NHBC Foundation in 2015 (Homes through the decades, NF62)

A misapplied utopian vision

In the 1960s and 70s, to reduce the ongoing housing shortage and to re-house those in substandard homes, local authorities across the land built large numbers of residential tower blocks. It is often not appreciated that we came close to addressing, at least numerically, the nation’s long-term housing shortage, but failed to provide solutions that worked with communities. It was supposed that everyday people would enjoy high-rise living and share the utopian vision of an elite professional minority who precipitated this change. In practice many of the tower blocks were social and financial failures. In the worst cases, vertical slums replaced horizontal ones. In just two decades we saw the rise of the residential tower block and its fall from grace – an expensive and damaging episode.

Signs of the times

In the swinging sixties, a new generation enjoyed new freedoms and a brighter future. It was felt that the nation should by now have left poverty behind and there was a genuine political determination to ensure that all enjoyed a good quality of life. The reality of the time was very different for many people, and at least 100,000 families were still living in poverty, as were half of all old age pensioners. Living conditions for some remained shockingly bad. In 1975, perhaps a million homes were still rated as slums, and 1.8 million unfit for habitation, lacking basic amenities such as running water, baths and toilets. At the same time at least half a million families were still sharing homes and as many as 30,000 were homeless.

The 1960s solution to the housing problem was the large-scale construction of residential tower blocks; however, even within a few years many of these were demonstrating serious shortcomings in design and construction and were rapidly falling out of favour with the public. Resistance grew to the practice of demolishing the existing housing and replacing it with the seemingly inhuman towers, which isolated individuals and were inappropriate for families. By the early 1970s Government policy makers, now increasingly wary about the merits of the high-rise solution, were advocating policies to improve and upgrade existing low-rise homes.

The 1960s and 70s saw the rapid expansion of the New Towns policy across the country. House building reached a peak at this time and a threshold was crossed in 1968, the year when half the families in the UK owned their own homes.

Homes then

From 1965, national Building Regulations were in force and new homes would now need to comply to a range of common technical requirements. The new homes could be expected to perform well, though some aspects, such as sound transmission between homes, was only poorly understood and was proved to be a shortcoming, particularly with the proliferation of more powerful hi-fi systems.

Tower block construction quality was at best described as variable. While some construction systems performed badly, being difficult for residents to keep warm, and vulnerable to rain penetration and condensation, some have performed well and been popular with residents.

The majority of houses from this period were functional in their design and tended to be box-like. A typical home would be built with minimal eaves overhangs and windows flush to the exterior, giving a profile of little relief or interest. Electrical and gas central heating systems were increasingly adopted as the norm and fireplaces and chimneys omitted from the design.

Internally, the lounge was still the main place for relaxing and entertaining, and a centre for family activity; however, designs increasingly looked at open-plan configurations and a separate dining room became less common. Interior design favoured bold colours and a range of styles, including pop art.

Design from the early 1960s onwards, particularly that of public sector housing, was strongly influenced by the Parker Morris report in 1961, which set out principles of space design in homes. Designers now had guidance to help enhance the usability of space.

Apartment living

In ancient Rome, apartments provided an affordable housing solution for most people. In Victorian and Edwardian times, low- and medium-rise apartment blocks were built but not extensively. In the 1930s the building of apartment blocks accelerated as a housing response to slum clearance. At this time the apartments were medium rise, up to five storeys and with no lifts. Into the mix at this time were the ideas of Corbusier and the Bauhaus movement, the latter reflected in the Isokon flats in London. After the Second World War a number of local authorities commissioned medium-rise apartment blocks, some of which, like Lubetkin’s Spa Green development, remain popular to this day.

The unfortunate, faulty application of high-rise to the housing problems of the 1960s and 70s undermined public confidence in the basically sound concept of the residential apartment block for many years.

By the late sixties, enlightened architects sought to bring together insights and experiences to generate more beautiful apartment complexes at a more human scale. Research demonstrated that high rise was not the only way of achieving high density required by planners or dictated by available space. Other configurations could be equally effective.

Today, apartment living is in renaissance. We have learnt that communities in apartment blocks need facilities and meeting places that allow human interaction and expression, and should create an ambience that reinforces good citizenship. High-rise modern apartment living is now popular as a housing solution for young professionals in cities and the luxury apartment market is booming. Current trends suggest that the proportion of people living in apartments, currently at about 20%, is set to expand significantly.

Looking forward from 1979

In May 1968 there was a gas explosion within Ronan Point, a newly-completed high-rise apartment block. A complete twenty-two storey corner of the building collapsed as a result, killing four people and injuring many others. A public enquiry followed, which concluded that the concrete structure was unsound - a finding that seriously undermined the public’s confidence in the modernist high-rise buildings of the time. Though Ronan Point was repaired, it was eventually demolished in 1986 and, ironically, replaced by low-rise terraced homes - the very houses it was intended to supersede.

In the UK, high-rise concrete buildings are now built to a design code that has stringent requirements to prevent progressive collapse and high rise has today earned an acceptance, in some cases acclaim, for the lifestyle and value it provides.