Utopian tropical architecture in London ?? 🌴| Alternative Architecture | Tropical Modernism

How do you design buildings for tropical climates? In West Africa, you’ll find hundreds of mid-century buildings that do just that. But why is it that can also find these in rainy London?? Join Reece Davey, V&A East’s resident architecture enthusiast, as he explores how modernist architecture emerged in 1930s Europe and took on a tropical twist in West Africa. With help from architect and researcher Nana Biamah-Ofosu, we discover why pioneering British architects travelled to tropical climates to adapt their utopian modernist principles. Now known as Tropical Modernism, the style is rooted in a colonial era – but what happened when these countries became independent? And what can we learn from Tropical Modernism today? See inside the iconic apartments of London’s (Agatha Christie-approved, Bauhaus-inspired) Isokon building and tour Kensal House – one of the first working class modernist housing blocks in the city. Find out how the architects of an iconic London skyscraper had to look to Tropical Modernism to save their building and stop the pavement from melting away… 🍳 00:00 Introduction – what is Tropical Modernism? 00:30 What is Modernism? 00:56 See inside the Isokon / Lawn Road Flats 01:50 Who are Jane Drew and Maxwell Fry? 02:05 The Sun House, Hampstead 02:20 Kensal House – modernist housing for the working class 02:56 Why did people like Modernism? 03:13 Why did the British colonial government send architects to West Africa? 03:35 Inside the Tropical Modernism exhibition with Nana Biamah-Ofosu 03:50 Design features of Tropical Modernism 04:20 The political context of Tropical Modernism 04:50 The role of African Architects and Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah University 05:38 What happened after independence? 06:05 What can we learn from Tropical Modernism? 06:25 Tropical Modernism in London?? The Walkie Talkie 07:19 Next time... 👀 Reece Davey is a content creator and architecture graduate on a mission to make architecture fun and accessible for all. In each episode of his new series, 'Reece’s Alternative Architecture', he serves up a slice of architectural history with his own unique POV. By visiting buildings in London (and beyond) to explain how and why they were built, Reece aims to provide the tools for understanding and enjoying the built environment like never before. Follow Reece on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/houseofdevey The exhibition, Tropical Modernism: Architecture and Independence, is at V&A South Kensington from 2 March – 22 September 2024. Find out more at https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/tropical-modernism-architecture-and-independence See our Architecture collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/architecture