Tags
architecture, exhibition, home, installation, John Berger, London, memory, Mircia Eliade, photography, place, prefab
The Prefab Museum
John Berger in ‘The Meaning of Home‘ reminds us that “originally home meant the centre of the world, not in a geographical, but in an ontological sense. Mircea Eliade has demonstrated how home was the place from which the world could be founded. A home was established “at the heart of the real”….without a home at the centre of the real, one was not only shelterless, but also lost in nonbeing, in unreality.”
The wonderfully named Excalibur Estate in South East London was one of many prefab estates built in 1945-6 after the Second World War by German and Italian prisoners of war to help provide homes for returning servicemen and their families. These were only intended to last ten years or so but survived much longer becoming much-loved by residents and forming established communities. Now this estate, one of the last to survive intact, is to be demolished, apart from six of the houses, which are now listed Grade 2. New houses will be built but many residents have left and moved away so the community will change. I think the prefab church will also survive.
St Mark’s Church
A museum has been created in one of the prefabs, curated by Elisabeth Blanchet, open until the end of May, with an interior suggesting the spirit of the homes as well as art work and other material forming a record of the estate and the inhabitants and their lives.
Photos by Jane Hearn
Pinhole photography by Jo Cooper
Album of photos of model interiors
Original plan
Photograph of an original kitchen
Interiors of the ‘museum’
Views from the window
I have written before about the concept of ‘home‘ but in terms of place, and landscape, rather than four walls and a roof. This project shows what that more conventional concept of home can mean.
Read More:
http://harrietmcdougall.com/wordpress/projects/excalibur/
http://carolineld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/excalibur-estate-catford.html
http://diamondgeezer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/prefab-museum.html
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/dec/28/prefab-houses-last-estate-britain
- Colin Davis The Prefabricated Home. Reaktion Books, 2005. ISBN 1-86189-243-8.
dianajhale 
It has taken me a while to comment for I wanted to see if I could remember the name of the British film that I thought used this estate as a setting. I do not remember any of its history playing a major role but it was mentioned, yet my memory is not nearly what it was. Somehow, this area seems quite familiar to me, and I will keep musing. I enjoyed the post.
Karen
Interesting Karen- I don’t know of anything but will try and find out. Thanks for the suggestion.
So interesting that these temporary homes have lasted so long and have become a local treasure. Really interesting post Diana.
A fascinating and rather sad bit of social history, Diana. I remember a place similar to this where I grew up in north Worcestershire – an estate of perfectly decent prefab housing built just after WWII that lasted until well into the 1970s, maybe 80s. I had friends who lived there and they were perfectly happy with their homes.
A big part of the area where I live includes temporary housing that stood the test of time …. Most of these houses have been ‘added to’ until they are as permanent as any. Jane
It is obvious that the people who live in this community look after their pre-fab houses. It would be a different story if they were run down slums. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the replacement housing didn’t turn out that way.
In the context of their anticipated life-span prefabs appear to have lasted well. I think there are still some surviving ones around Dunfermline. Not bad considering the anticipated life of a new, volume built timber framed house of c. 25-30 years. The church also reminded me of the Italian Chapel on Orkney, constructed by Italian POWs out of Nissan huts with an elaborate frontage. Now Grade A listed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Chapel
It seems almost criminal in my mind to demolish homes that people love. I wonder why many of the residents moved away though?