Two LFA events highlight how gritty and realistic talk about architecture and the built environment is not limited to the sector

摘要

The most striking thing about watching The Dilapidated Dwelling is the prescience of all of its discussions. Made in 2000, it was conceived in the glory days of the late Nineties, when a progressive and savvy New Labour Government suggested a technocratic optimism for Britain. Contrary to the Britpop fanfare, Patrick Keiller's film (originally intended to be screened on Channel 4, in four parts - it never was) found a melancholia surrounding the very places where we live. In the years since the film was made, technological advances - including remote workplaces, cheaper travel, and the rise and rise of social networks - have allowed one to feel 'at home' more or less anywhere, but the materiality of a home, and of owning one, has remained as a persistent crisis.