Alison & Peter Smithson

University of Bath, Building 6 East: the School of Architecture and Building Engineering at Claverton Down, Bath, Somerset, South West England, UK; 1980-88

Alison Smithson + Peter Smithson, Harris & Sutherland (drawings by Ulrika Gynnerstedt; axonometric drawing by Ruth Pascua; photography by Martin Charles)

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Prototype

Alison and Peter Smithson : The House Of The Future

There is already someone who envisioned how the future home looked like throughout the middle Fifties, a prototype was designed by well-known modernist architects Alison and Peter Smithson. Although it was never intended for actual production but for theoretical discussion.

The House of the Future was presented on Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition, held in the Olympia Exhibition Centre from March 6-31 1956. The drawings above shows how has been conceived this prototype for the exhibition. A gem for researchers and architecture enthusiasts.

Designed around a courtyard garden that supplied natural lighting and private outdoor space, there were few windows on the exterior walls allowing the houses to be placed directly side-by-side. For viewing purposes, there was no roof but an elevated platform so exhibition goers could look inside the house from above. Appliances and work areas were hidden from view within cubicles allowing for a large open space in which to live.  

In the late years it was documented by the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) with more curational material related entitled “ What the Future Looked Like” ,there you’ll find “The Sound of the Future” text by Sabine von Fischer and Beatriz Colomina Lecture “Unbreathed Air“. [Link at the bottom]

more about The Smithsons. +

image 1: Axonometric of the final scheme. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England, between 1955 and 6 March 1956 . CCA    

image 2: Middle Level Plan showing the arrangement of the furniture House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England, between 1955 and 6 March 1956. Pen and black ink and red ink on drafting film. CCA

image 3: Plan and section for the circulation of exhibition viewers and a key.  House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England ,  between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA

image 4:  Exterior elevation and sections showing the viewing apertures to the bedroom. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England ,  between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA    

image 5: Section QQ and a lateral elevation for the bathing area. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England,  between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA    

image 6: Section WW for the kitchen and elevations for the dishwasher and glow bowl. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England, between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA

image 7:  Section ZZ for the kitchen and living room. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England,  between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA

image 8:  Section showing details for the glazing. House of the Future. Alison and Peter Smithson. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London, England, March 1956. CCA

image 9: Plan, elevation and section for the arrangement of the viewing platform. Alison and Peter Smithson. House of the Future. Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition, London,England, between 1955 and 6 March 1956. CCA CCA 

El espacio es la distancia entre dos cuerpos. El diccionario siempre tan concluyente1. He aquí la definición exacta, acotada y aparentemente objetiva de un contumaz incontable, contenedor de todo lo que existe: el espacio, distancia entre dos cuerpos. El aspecto inofensivo de esta precisión geométrica sobre el espacio, en realidad limita la condición espacial a la constelación de relaciones entre sus elementos marginales: el suelo y la mesa, el árbol y la ventana, el puente y el avión… fronteras sin las cuales, y ésta es la cuestión, el espacio no existiría.

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