Lost Futures

Examines a wide variety of British building types dating from 1945 to 1979, with exquisite photographs of them as they were originally conceived

Includes the works of an important array of architects, including Richard Seifert, Alison and Peter Smithson, and Erno Goldfinger

Published to complement the display Futures Found at the Royal Academy in February 2017

Lost Futures looks in detail at the wide range of buildings constructed in Britain between 1945 and 1979. Although their bold architectural aspirations reflected the forward-looking social ethos of the postwar era, many have since been either demolished or altered beyond recognition.

Photographs taken at the time of their completion are accompanied by expertly researched captions that examine the buildings' design, creation, the ideals they embodied and the reasons for their eventual destruction. Lost Futures covers many building types, from housing to factories, commercial spaces and power stations, and presents the work of both iconic and lesser-known architects. The author charts the complex reasons that led to the loss of these projects' ambitious futures, and assesses whether some might one day be recaptured.