Houses of the future: British post-war architecture from modernism to futurism

Among the many topics covered in the Daily Herald, is a wealth of photographs which record the changing architectural styles of domestic housing in 20th-century Britain.

The devastation of the Second World War led to a housing crisis in the UK. When building materials became widely available again in the 1950s and 1960s, there was pressure to build quickly and cheaply—and an opportunity to do things differently.

This period saw a clear rebellion against the applied decoration of pre-war housing, particularly the ‘Mock Tudor’ style. There was also a concerted effort to move away from Victorian and Edwardian styles of housing, which were now considered dark and dingy.

Architects of the 1960s experimented with bold shapes, daring layouts and open plan interiors. Council estates were typically characterised by boxy straight lines, while designs for private housing were often more innovative. 

Modernist architecture was a big influence on housing design in the 1950s and 60s. Modernist architects rejected ornamentation, embracing minimalism and structural innovation. Above all, modernist housing was about function and how spaces could be used practically.

Under the influence of modernism, domestic houses of the 1960s were roomy and modern, with wide windows and lots of light. They often came with garages, a large driveway and gardens. The idea of open plan living was fashionable, and the combined lounge/diner became popular.

The influence of futurism is nowhere more evident than in the Futuro House, designed by Finnish architect Matti Suuronen. Notable for its iconic ‘flying saucer’ appearance, it was very much a product of the social and technological optimism of the 1960s.

The Futuro House was introduced to the UK market in 1969. Unfortunately, its unusual appearance was met with public hostility from the beginning and less than 100 were ever built. By the mid-1970s it had been taken off the market.

In 1968, architect Hall Moggridge and engineers John Martin and Ken Anthony unveiled their vision for life at sea. The concept design for ‘Sea City’ proposed a self-sufficient community 15 miles off the Norfolk coast, capable of housing 30,000 people.

By the 1970s, modernism had begun to seem elitist and exclusive. When the optimism of the 1950s and 60s started to falter in the 1970s, this was reflected in architecture, which began to be influenced by postmodernist ideas—a reaction against modernism.