Staged in association with the exhibition Superstructures: The New Architecture 1960-1990, this conference explores the contexts and legacies of High Tech architecture in Britain and internationally, from the late 20th century to today. Situated somewhere between the long trajectory of ‘unfinished’ modernism and the postmodern ‘turn’, High Tech has been a term of contestation since it first appeared 40 years ago. This conference seeks to address its multiple meanings and contradictions, and situate it in relation to history, theory and practice.

Speakers include: Professor Todd Gannon, Head of the Architecture Section at The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School and author of Reyner Banham and the Paradoxes of High Tech; Professor Pat Kirkham, Professor of Design History at Kingston University; Professor Jane Pavitt, Head of the School of Critical Studies and Creative Industries at Kingston University; Dr Otto Saumarez Smith, Shuffrey Junior Research Fellow in Architectural History Lincoln College, University of Oxford; and Douglas Spencer, Lecturer in Historical and Critical Thinking at the Architectural Association and author of The Architecture of Neoliberalism.

For abstracts, conference schedule and booking details visit https://scva.ac.uk/whats-on/events/superstructures-the-new-architecture-1960-1990-conference

PROGRAMME

Friday 8th June

16:30 Exhibition tour with co-curator Professor Jane Pavitt.

18.00 Keynote: ‘Reyner Banham and the Paradoxes of High Tech’, Professor Todd Gannon, Head of the Architecture Section at The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School.

Saturday 9th June

10:00 Registration and Coffee

10:30 Welcome

10:45 ‘A Tale of Two High Techs’, Professor Jane Pavitt, Head of the School of

Critical Studies and Creative Industries at Kingston University.

11:30 ‘Case Studies for High Tech: The Eameses and the Case Study House Program’, Professor Pat Kirkham, Professor of Design History at Kingston University.

12:15 Panel discussion

13:00 Lunch

14:00 ‘The Leisure Centre Boom and the Diffusion of High Tech’, Dr Otto Saumarez Smith, Shuffrey Junior Research Fellow in Architectural History Lincoln College, University of Oxford.

14:45 ‘The Persistence of the Future: Architectural Style in the Age of Algorithmic Governmentality’, Dr Douglas Spencer, Lecturer in Historical and Critical Thinking at the Architectural Association and author of The Architecture of Neoliberalism.

15:30 Panel discussion (all speakers)

16:00 Close

This one and a half day conference will take place at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
It has been programmed in partnership with the Modern Interiors Research Centre at Kingston University.