Alison and Peter Smithson
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English architects Alison Smithson (1928-1993) and Peter Smithson (18 September 1923-3 March 2003) together formed an architectural partnership, and are often associated with the Brutalist style.
Peter was born in Stockton-on-Tees in north-east England, and Alison was born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. While studying architecture at Durham University (1939-1942), they met each other, and married in 1949. Together, they joined the architecture department of the London County Council before establishing their own partnership in 1950.
Their style draws heavily on influences from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, leaning towards minimalism. They were associated with Team X and its 1953 revolt against old Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM) philosophies, arguing instead for 'streets in the sky' where inhabitants could live and work, and were members of the Independent Group participating in the 1953 Parallel of Life and Art exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Arts and This is Tomorrow in 1956.
Their projects included:
- Smithdon High School, Hunstanton, Norfolk (1949-1954; a grade II* listed building)
- The House of the Future exhibition (at the 1956 Ideal Home Show)
- The Economist Building, Piccadilly, London (1959-1965)
- Garden building, St Hilda's College, Oxford (1968)
- Robin Hood Gardens housing complex, Poplar, east London (1969-1972)
- Buildings at the University of Bath, including the School of Architecture and Building Engineering (1988)
Unfortunately, Robin Hood Gardens suffered from structural problems and high levels of crime, fatally undermining both their progressive vision of 'streets in the sky' and their architectural reputation. With the exception of their work at Bath, they designed no further public buildings in Britain, relying instead mainly on private overseas commissions, Peter Smithson’s writing and teaching, (he was a visiting professor at Bath from 1978 to 1990, and also a unit master at the Architectural Association School of Architecture).
