Robin Hood Gardens Revisited//Angell YAO [Y2]

The Smithsons' classic scheme for Robin Hood Gardens, with its vision of communal 'streets in the sky', is now scheduled for demolition unless a last-minute reprieve can be won. The fiery debates about the Smithsons' building encapsulate the conflict between preserving built heritage and the desire to profit from London's obscene housing market. What, however, if the building was not knocked down, but modernised instead? Here a series of vertical fin gardens which use hydroponics to offer recreational activities to residents, as well as a handy source of food, while two taller community towers add much-needed services to the housing estate. Now, with small cinemas and other attractive social facilities, this much-criticised scheme can be made desirable for the contemporary age