#subtopia

In 1956, A sequel to ‘Outrage’, ‘Counter-attack against subtopia’ was published, showed how towns, villages and the countryside could be improved with good design.

Drawing, photography, plans, maps and typography combine to guide the reader. The maps and drawings allow the reader to orientate themselves and to “see” the bigger picture…

Cullen called this presentation, serialvision. It’s a series of views stitched together with maps and commentary…

In 1955, Ian Nairn wrote ‘Outrage’, a savage polemic against the despoiling of the built environment, illustrated by such offences as ‘wonky benches’, ‘scratchy planting’, ‘savagely pruned trees’, ‘sleazy wires’ and ‘Things in Fields’. He coined the term ‘subtopia’ to describe areas indistinguishable between town and country. A sequel, Counter-attack against subtopia, published the following year, showed how towns, villages and the countryside could be improved with good design.

Image: Montage of photographs of Lancashire for Ian Nairn's Outrage in the Architectural Review, 1955, from the Architectural Press Archive   Photographers: Ian Nairn (1930-1983) and Bill Toomey (1922-) Credit: Architectural Press Archive / RIBA Library Photographs Collection