Image from RIBApix
Chamberlin, Powell & Bon
The practice of Chamberlin, Powell & Bon are most well known for their two estates in the City of London, Golden Lane and the Barbican, exemplars of the postwar housing scheme. Peter Chamberlin, Geoffry Powell and Christoph Bon were all teaching at Kingston Polytechnic in 1951 when they separately entered a competition for an estate on Golden Lane. They agreed that if any of the three won, the others would join the winner to deliver the project. Geoffry Powell’s design won the competition , and the partnership was formed in 1952, with Golden Lane officially opening in 1957.
The new estate was well received and the firm subsequently received the commission for a new estate next door, which would become the Barbican. This project took 17 years to complete, with construction beginning in 1965. The first residents moved into Speed House in 1967, and building continued until the Barbican Arts Centre opened in 1982. The estate is now Grade II listed. Aside from those two estates, the practice designed the Vanbrugh Park Estate in Greenwich, completed in 1963.
Away from housing, the practice designed a number of schools including Bousfield Primary in Kensington (1956) with its concrete water tower and coloured panels. Further educational buildings include the former Two Saints school in Southwark (mostly demolished), Murray Edwards College, Cambridge (1964) and the University of Leeds (1963-75). The practice became Chamberlin, Powell, Bon & Woods in 1985 when Frank Woods became partner, and the firm was wound up in 1989.
Buildings: Barbican Estate, Golden Lane Estate
The practice of Chamberlin, Powell & Bon are most well known for their two estates in the City of London, Golden Lane and the Barbican, exemplars of the postwar housing scheme. Peter Chamberlin, Geoffry Powell and Christoph Bon were all teaching at Kingston Polytechnic in 1951 when they separately entered a competition for an estate on Golden Lane. They agreed that if any of the three won, the others would join the winner to deliver the project. Geoffry Powell’s design won the competition , and the partnership was formed in 1952, with Golden Lane officially opening in 1957.
The new estate was well received and the firm subsequently received the commission for a new estate next door, which would become the Barbican. This project took 17 years to complete, with construction beginning in 1965. The first residents moved into Speed House in 1967, and building continued until the Barbican Arts Centre opened in 1982. The estate is now Grade II listed. Aside from those two estates, the practice designed the Vanbrugh Park Estate in Greenwich, completed in 1963.
Away from housing, the practice designed a number of schools including Bousfield Primary in Kensington (1956) with its concrete water tower and coloured panels. Further educational buildings include the former Two Saints school in Southwark (mostly demolished), Murray Edwards College, Cambridge (1964) and the University of Leeds (1963-75). The practice became Chamberlin, Powell, Bon & Woods in 1985 when Frank Woods became partner, and the firm was wound up in 1989.
Buildings: Barbican Estate, Golden Lane Estate