Tecton and Berthold Lubetkin RA: The Architects Who Made London with Maxwell Hutchinson

Summary: Led by Berthold Lubetkin, the architectural practice Tecton combined a passion for social reform with a deeper knowledge of European modernism, in the designs for the penguin enclosure at London Zoo, the residential tower block of Highpoint, and the Finsbury Health Centre. The post-war housing schemes of Spa and Priory Greens set a thoughtful precursor to the onslaught of social housing projects which dominated London and set the pattern for other large scale redevelopment by Tecton's successors' practices. Architect and Lubetkin's biographer, John Allan, discusses these and other projects with series presenter Maxwell Hutchinson, elaborating on how Lubetkin's continental and Russian background influenced areas of London we see today. This event took place at the Royal Academy of Arts on 14 April 2008. For more information on this lecture series and the RA's Architecture Programme see www.royalacademy.org.uk/architecture.