Comments on: Peter Barber In The East End

By: Flowboy

Flowboy — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 19:19:43 +0000

I do remember visiting Old Ford Road area in the mid 70’s & my memory is of a drab & very run-down industrial area. RThey may not be like Georgian or Victorian housing; building methods & styles cannot stand still. There are too many ugly interpretations of “traditional” styles & thank heavens more of them weren’t imposed on this particular urban landscape. There are still some fine original traditional terraces in & around Old Ford Road. However these new houses have a charm of their own & for their inhabitants, should be warmer & more energy efficient by a long way.

By: Flowboy

Flowboy — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 18:52:31 +0000

The Donnybrook Quarter buildings particularly in these photographs, bright white against a blue sky, have an appealing mediterranean quality. The cantilevered balconies are charming but rather pointlessly small. Room for 2 on a sunny day should surely be the minimum area! How long it will be before the paint becomes mould stained & drab in the UK climate? I wonder if there are any restrictions on the render colour. They might look even more Meditarranean if painted in some bright pastel shades…

By: Susan Henry

Susan Henry — Wed, 15 Jan 2020 05:21:19 +0000

These are all quite attractive – I especially like the McGrath Road stone building, which has an almost medieval starkness to it. The only one I wonder about is the shake-covered building. I live in Vancouver, Canada, and we have quite a few of those buildings. They tend not to age well in wet climates, and end up looking quite rundown and tatty.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Tue, 14 Jan 2020 22:51:36 +0000

Inspirational

By: Bailey Jones

Bailey Jones — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 17:30:11 +0000

Fantastic examples of social housing design. We nees more of this across the UK.

By: Derek Bailey

Derek Bailey — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 16:18:21 +0000

I lived on Umberston Street in Stepney as a kid and these homes look wonderful in contrast to where we lived.

By: paul loften

paul loften — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:48:34 +0000

I love the arches and also the white buildings. The rounded corners have perhaps a hint of Art Deco? I don’t know if Mr Barber was inspired by the white Isokon flats in Lawn Road Hampstead which maybe London’s last remaining Art Deco Bauhaus flats and also have a very interesting history. I am not an expert in architectural matters so possibly not. However, I do think he should be commended for his thoughtful designs that add character and style to the streets of East London.

By: Roger Whitaker

Roger Whitaker — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 11:49:15 +0000

Having lived in Stepney in the 1950’s and 60’s, I find these buildings quite ugly and out of character with the East End as I knew it – bring back the elegant Georgian and Victorian terrace designs with tree lined roads.

By: Pamela Traves

Pamela Traves — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 09:39:30 +0000

Mr. Barber has done a Wonderful selection of new houses for poor people. ???????

By: Annie Green

Annie Green — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 08:54:22 +0000

These are wonderful. More of this, less of the dull but flashy over-priced blocks built for the wealthy to rent out at exorbitant prices. I love the human scale and the twists and turns, the curves and the use of relevant materials. Social housing should be the way forward.