Archigram - The Architecture Collective That Wasn’t
- up2198805
- 3 days ago
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Updated: 2 days ago
Between the years of 1961 and 1974, 10 issues of an unusual magazine were sporadically published. The magazine was called Archigram and each issue contained bold, unusual and almost sci-fi like designs created by six architects who imagined the cities of the future (Giles, 2019). While each design was unique, they were generally united under a “high-tech, lightweight, infrastructural approach to living, centred on technology” (Something Curated, 2020), and by avoiding conventions of cities that we take for granted (such as using roads, remaining in a static location, or even being on the ground) they explored possibilities for cities and communities. While this complete reimagining of the city led to some fascinating proposed ideas, potentially the most interesting aspect of Archigram's existence is that, despite their radical approach to design and widespread influence, the collective never constructed a single building. However, in the absence of any physical impact the group may have directly had, this post will evaluate buildings created by architects that Archigram has inspired, and conclude that Archigram has left its mark on the design world via the high-tech and metabolist movements (Giles, 2019).
Simon Sadler notes in his book Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture that while there is a tendency for those studying the history of Architecture to consider “architectural imagination” to be “less fascinating (and influential) than… completed buildings”, this approach is an unjust way to consider a project with such widespread influence as Archigram. The fact that the collective is still impacting our built landscape today should be proof of this. Archigram are notable for taking a colourful, enagaging, and interesting approach to design.
In a time when the contemporary landscape was dominated by modernism and efficiency, the collective focused on the possibilities of what a post-WW2 city could look like, as opposed to conforming with what it already was. The overwhelming intention of the collective was to confront the view of modernism being a “sterile and safe orthodoxy” (Something Curated, 2020), and use deliberately expressive and futuristic imagery to push the envelope of what was possible. As Peter Cook, a member of Archigram, once claimed: “Archigram [designs] looked a bit unusual, but actually could’ve been built… [they had] handrails… toilets… escalators [that] were the right pitch” (ArchDaily, 2017). This attention to detail and usable specification makes the designs all the more compelling, as while they visually oppose the common consensus of what a city should look like, the fact that they are feasible (perhaps even buildable), serves to strengthen the credibility of the collective. These weren’t just fantastical ideas, these were designs that had been planned and created with people and usability in mind. The feasibility of the designs begs the viewer to ask themselves why designs akin to these were never constructed.
Ron Herron in particular held a fascination with Walking Cities. He made several designs expanding on the same concept - large, squat cities, ambling across land and sea on 8 “periscope legs”, and using “retractable corridors” to connect to each other (MoMA, 2025). The designs are confounding, and look more like a proposal for a robot in a sci-fi film than a functional city, but at the same time, the utopian sentiment is compelling. The intention behind these Walking Cities centred around the idea that a movable city could help its inhabitants “escape wars and natural disasters” (Giles, 2019) by physically relocating them, while connecting corridors would allow people to move freely between cities or exchange resources (Something Curated, 2020). Despite the initially alien appearance of these cities, the intent behind them is joyously human - cities built on connection, community, and safety.
Despite the magazine, conferences, exhibitions (including the 1963 “Living City” exhibition at the ICA which brought more attention to Archigram), and an eventually shelved project for an Entertainment Centre (Sadler, 2005), Archigram’s ideas never materialised in the real world, and the modernist movement progressed onward without a Walking City or Instant City (tatler image) making it to construction. However, it must still be recognised that this exuberant and creative offshoot of modernism left a mark on contemporary architecture, as several prolific architects credit Archigram as one of the influences in their design process.
One such architect is Renzo Piano who helped design the Centre Pompidou which opened in 1977. Renzo is considered a key figure in the high-tech architecture style, as his projects, while diverse, often ensure that “engineering and technology play an important part” (Block, 2019). Renzo’s description of the building as “a joyful urban machine, a creature that might have come from a Jules Verne” (Frearson, 2019) already invites comparison to the Walking City and other Archigram creations.
The decision to make the structural supports visible from the exterior gives the building a lightweight appearance, as it isn’t choked by thick, intrusive walls. The choice to place key infrastructure like lifts, escalators, and air conditioning pipes around the exterior not only invites viewers to engage with the normally concealed inner workings of the building, but in doing so, centres the building around its technology and essential infrastructure. Additionally, the bright colours like reds, yellows, greens, and blues used to separate parts of the building by function are not only creative and engaging, but simultaneously pragmatic, and once again draw closer attention to the utility of the Centre Pompidou’s infrastructure (Frearson, 2019).
It is in these aspects that high-tech architecture could be seen as a continuation/offshoot of Archigram’s inventive designs, and it is in this context that I feel it is fair to say that Archigram’s designs contributed a lot to the way we currently consider technology, architecture, and cities, despite never having built a single building.
This post's thumbnail was inspired by New York Dolls' Paris' Burning (1973) album cover. New York Dolls were one of the proto-punk bands who helped kick-start the punk genre. Although their albums were commercial failures, they inspired many other artists and are remembered today for their influence, much like Archigram and the high-tech architecture style.
Sources:
ArchDaily. (2017, October 19.) ArchDaily Interviews | Peter Cook "Archigram Designs Were Always Meant to Be Built" [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M7leZ3HyEs
Frearson, A. (2019, November 26). Renzo Piano is the Italian high-tech architect. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/26/renzo-piano-high-tech-architecture/
Giles, O. (2019, October 25.) Building The Future: How Archigram Inspired A Generation of Architects. Tatler Asia. https://www.tatlerasia.com/homes/architecture-design/building-the-future-how-archigram-magazine-inspired-a-generation-of-architects
MoMA. (2025.) Ron Herron, Walking City on the Ocean, project (Exterior perspective), 1966. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/814
Sadler, S. (2005). Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture. The MIT Press. https://monoskop.org/images/f/ff/Sadler_Simon_Archigram_Architecture_without_Architecture.pdf
Something Curated. (2020, May 6.) What Archigram Taught Us. https://somethingcurated.com/2020/05/06/what-archigram-taught-us/
Figures:
Figure 1 - M+. (2025). Archigram Magazine, page 5, Archigram 3. https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/collection/objects/magazine-page-5-archigram-3-ca36-t8/
Figure 2 - M+. (2025). Archigram Magazine, Archigram 5. https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/collection/objects/magazine-archigram-5-ca36-t12/
Figure 3 - M+. (2025). Archigram Peter Cook. Design drawing, postcard, Love from Archigram. https://www.mplus.org.hk/en/collection/objects/design-drawing-postcard-love-from-archigram-ca36-t67/
Figure 4 - ArchDaily. (2017, October 19.) ArchDaily Interviews | Peter Cook "Archigram Designs Were Always Meant to Be Built" [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M7leZ3HyEs
Figure 5 - Sadler, S. (2005). Archigram: Architecture Without Architecture. The MIT Press. https://monoskop.org/images/f/ff/Sadler_Simon_Archigram_Architecture_without_Architecture.pdf
Figure 6 - V&A. (2025). Entertainment Building Collage by Archigram. https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O204067/entertainments-building-collage-archigram/
Figure 7 - Perez, A. (2010, June 11). Architecture Classics: Centre Georges Pompidou / Renzo Piano Building Workshop + Richard Rogers. ArchDaily. https://www.archdaily.com/64028/ad-classics-centre-georges-pompidou-renzo-piano-richard-rogers/6515ba44731632531be07822-ad-classics-centre-georges-pompidou-renzo-piano-richard-rogers-photo
Figure 8 - Frearson, A. (2019, November 2019). Renzo Piano is the Italian high-tech architect. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2019/11/26/renzo-piano-high-tech-architecture/
Figure 9 - New York Dolls. (1973). Paris' Burning [Album]. skydog.
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