Piece of Robin Hood Gardens to go on display in Venice

A piece of an old Poplar housing estate is going on show in an exhibition in Venice.

Robin Hood Gardens' 'Street in the sky' walkway. Picture: Joe Lord - Credit: Joe Lord

The chunk of Robin Hood Gardens, an estate near the Blackwall Tunnel, was acquired by the V&A in November after a nine-year battle to save it from demolition failed.

The three-storey section of facade will now go on display at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

The building was demolished to make way for the £300 million Blackwall Reach development, where two bed flats are being sold for £565,000.

The V&A acquired the piece of the building as an example of ‘New Brutalism’ – a style of architecture which used exposed concrete, precast slabs and elevated ‘streets in the sky’ walkways. Robin Hood Gardens’ demolition prompted a huge backlash from architectural historians, who put in an unsuccessful application to get it listed status.

The old Robin Hood Gardens estate, near the Blackwall Tunnel. Picture: Joe Lord - Credit: Archant

In Venice, the piece of estate will be reconstructured on a scaffold that will allow visitors to walk along the ‘street in the sky.’

The Venice Biennale will open on May 26.