12) “Pruitt-Igoe, Now”, by Nora Wendl

The Pruitt Igoe Now Housing project was erected in the 1950s following the war. It was a building that was supposed to symbolise prosperity and optimism, however the huge scale project soon became an infamous symbol of failure, with the first tower being demolished in 1972. The design was to reflect the work of Le Corbusier’s modernist ideas of having streets in the sky, which generated vertical neighbourhoods for people to create a sense of community. The estate was huge, with 33 buildings at 11 storeys each. Unfortunately despite these good intentions being at heart the structure became a place of crime and left residents fearful to wander the dark, delinquent hallways.

The competition to redesign the Pruitt Igoe Now is very interesting and gives me an insight into the requirements for such a task. The brief emphasises that the proposal should define the site and be aware of the historical and cultural landscape. It emphasises to me the importance of considering the context of a building and not simply demolishing all existing infrastructure, as it is critical to remember and learn from the past. In this project there is so much history present that perhaps only parts of the site requires intervention and some of the remains can be utilised in the proposal.

Pruitt Igoe Now Housing Estate (Politecture, 2011)

Image reference: Politecture, (2011), Pruitt Igoe Now Housing Estate [ONLINE]. Available at:https://politecture.wordpress.com/2011/11/25/pruitt-igoe/ [Accessed 25 February 15].