Overview

""Without any doubt, London is one of the best cities in the world for modern architecture. But it is also one of the biggest cities in the world, and it does not make a display of its best things. A visitor looking for new buildings in the City and the West End might well be justified in turning away with a shudder. Yet delightful things may be waiting for him in Lewisham or St. Albans."" -Ian Nairn, from the foreword ""Without any doubt, London is one of the best cities in the world for modern architecture. But it is also one of the biggest cities in the world, and it does not make a display of its best things. A visitor looking for new buildings in the City and the West End might well be justified in turning away with a shudder. Yet delightful things may be waiting for him in Lewisham or St. Albans."" -Ian Nairn, from the foreword As one of the few architectural critics to eschew purely aesthetic modes of analysis, Ian Nairn's timeless books on modern urban cities have been hailed as some of the most significant writing about contemporary Britain, while also being praised as alternative ""guidebooks"" for curious travelers. First published in 1964, Modern Buildings in London celebrates the character of buildings that were immediately recognizable as ""modern"" in 1964, many of which were not part of the well-known landscape of London but instead were gems that Nairn stumbled across. Written ""by a layman for laymen,"" Nairn's take on modern design includes classic London buildings such as the Barbican, the former BBC Television Centre, and the Penguin Pool at Regent's Park Zoo, as well as schools, old timber yards, ambulance stations, car parks, and even care homes.

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9781912559510

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Reviews

‘Like many Oldie readers, I have an in-built prejudice against modern architecture . . . Now I've read the [Modern Buildings in London], my cycle routes around London town have been greatly enriched. I now notice modern buildings and realise that some are great.’  -- Tom Hodgkinson * Oldie * 'A timely reminder of both the changing nature of aesthetics, how buildings shape a neighbourhood while also being a reflection of the wants and needs and vision of the future purveyed at the time.’   * Camden New Journal * ‘[An] utterly joyful book... Nairn’s descriptive writing is delicious and at times hilarious... Suffice it to say that after an extraordinary 60 years, Nairn’s passion for modern buildings in London has barely aged, and is a totally charming and informative narrative that entices you back to enjoy, all over again, your favourite MoMobuildings in London.' * Building Design * ‘This book is something of a ‘ghost gazetteer’, but it’s not only a period curiosity, and manages to speak more broadly to the art of criticism itself as well as displaying Nairn’s idiosyncratic knack of recognizing sheep and goats in London’s post 1930s re-fit.’ * Times Literary Supplement * 'In an act of enlightenment, Notting Hill Editions recently republished Ian Nairn’s Modern Buildings in London.' * Simon Heffer, Telegraph * 'Repackaged as an elegant pocket hardback, and with an erudite introduction from Travis Elborough, this is a curious collection for the intrepid traveller.' * Idler *

‘Like many Oldie readers, I have an in-built prejudice against modern architecture . . . Now I've read the [Modern Buildings in London], my cycle routes around London town have been greatly enriched. I now notice modern buildings and realise that some are great.’  -- Tom Hodgkinson * Oldie * 'A timely reminder of both the changing nature of aesthetics, how buildings shape a neighbourhood while also being a reflection of the wants and needs and vision of the future purveyed at the time.’   * Camden New Journal * ‘[An] utterly joyful book... Nairn’s descriptive writing is delicious and at times hilarious... Suffice it to say that after an extraordinary 60 years, Nairn’s passion for modern buildings in London has barely aged, and is a totally charming and informative narrative that entices you back to enjoy, all over again, your favourite MoMobuildings in London.' * Building Design * ‘This book is something of a ‘ghost gazetteer’, but it’s not only a period curiosity, and manages to speak more broadly to the art of criticism itself as well as displaying Nairn’s idiosyncratic knack of recognizing sheep and goats in London’s post 1930s re-fit.’ * Times Literary Supplement *

‘Like many Oldie readers, I have an in-built prejudice against modern architecture . . . Now I've read the [Modern Buildings in London], my cycle routes around London town have been greatly enriched. I now notice modern buildings and realise that some are great.’  -- Tom Hodgkinson * Oldie * 'A timely reminder of both the changing nature of aesthetics, how buildings shape a neighbourhood while also being a reflection of the wants and needs and vision of the future purveyed at the time.’   * Camden New Journal *

Author Information

Ian Nairn (1930-1983) was a British architectural critic and topographer who coined the term ""subtopia"" for the areas around cities that had in his view been failed by urban planning, losing their individuality and spirit of place. In the 1960s he contributed to the volumes on Surrey and Sussex in Nikolaus Pevsner's Buildings of England series and published a number of his own books, including Nairn's Paris and Nairn's Towns, both published by Notting Hill Editions. Travis Elborough is the author of many books, including Wish You Were Here- England on Sea, The Long-Player Goodbye, Through the Looking Glasses- The Spectacular Life of Spectacles, and Atlas of Vanishing Places, winner of Edward Stanford Travel Book Award in 2020.

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