Lost Futures looks in detail at the wide range of buildings constructed in Britain between 1945 and 1979. Although their bold architectural aspirations reflected the forward-looking social ethos of the postwar era, many have since been either demolished or altered beyond recognition.Photographs taken at the time of their completion are accompanied by expertly researched captions that examine the buildings' design, creation, the ideals they embodied and the reasons for their eventual destruction. Lost Futures covers many building types, from housing to factories, commercial spaces and power stations, and presents the work of both iconic and lesser-known architects. The author charts the complex reasons that led to the loss of these projects' ambitious futures, and assesses whether some might one day be recaptured.

There will be an accompanying display at the Royal Academy in February 2017.

About the Author
Owen Hopkins is a writer, historian and curator of architecture. He is Architecture Programme Curator at the Royal Academy of Arts. He is the author of Mavericks: Breaking the Mould of British Architecture (RA Publications, 2016), From the Shadows: The Architecture and Afterlife of Nicholas Hawksmoor (Reaktion, 2015) and Architectural Styles: A Visual Guide (Laurence King, 2014).


Book Information
ISBN 9781910350621
Author Owen Hopkins
Format Hardback
Page Count 128
Imprint Royal Academy of Arts
Publisher Royal Academy of Arts