Elain Harwood: Commonwealth Institute
Critic's Choice: London's most important building
22 February 2010
At the Geological Society, Piccadilly
This new series invites critics to propose and make a case for what they believe to be London’s most significant and important building. A panel of respondents will debate and discuss the chosen building, and encourage the audience to share their own views.
Elain Harwood is a historian for English Heritage, currently writing a book on post-war English architecture and completing a PhD on the topic of London’s South Bank. She is the author of an English Heritage book on England’s schools, and the Pevsner City Guide to Nottingham, her home town.
Elain’s interest in the Commonwealth Institute dates back to a 1968 school trip which she missed; she finally got to see the building when it was listed twenty years later. It was listed for its importance in the history of exhibition design, and significance in marking the transition from Empire to Commonwealth.
The panel of respondents includes, Chair of CABE, Paul Finch and MaryAnne Stevens, Director of Academic Affairs, Royal Academy.
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01:34 hours (32.4 MB)
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