High-Rise 1983 Part Two

This project was motivated by my interest in architecture and curiosity about it’s effect on people’s lives. I was living in Lambeth at the time and was always passing by two landmark 21-storey tower block buildings. I chose one of these to explore.

The block was built in the mid-1960s by the Greater London Council and by 1983 was administered by Lambeth Council. The main entrances into the building were permanently unlocked which made it possible for me just to walk in and take the elevator to different floors.

By pressing the button and getting off on different floors, I was able to meet a wide range of residents. Those who answered their door to me were very welcoming and pleased to be photographed and to talk about their lives. It was not an easy moment for many residents. Four years into Thatcher’s government, inner city boroughs like Lambeth bore the brunt of soaring unemployment, ideologically motivated attacks on council housing and dramatic cuts to council budgets. Rather than the optimism with which such buildings had been erected in the 1960s I mostly found a sense of isolation and alienation among residents.

It has taken nearly forty years for these photographs to come into the light of day. As such, it has not been possible to re-connect with those who I photographed and who welcomed me and gave me a glimpse into their lives at that specific moment. My thanks to them.