Archigram was
very much in reaction to the ongoing British Architecture.
James Stirling was the
forefront of 1960’s progressive British Architectural field and is remembered
as one of the most influential figures of 20th century Architecture.
He was born in 1926 and died in 1992. he fought in World War two before
studying architecture at the University of Liverpool with Colin Rowe, another
highly influential figure in Architecture. He was a postmodernist, using
references from historic architecture and ornamental relief on the facades in
his designs. In contrast, Archigram was a futurist movement preoccupied with
bubbles and capsules. Though both Stirling and Webb were avant-garde designers
with respect to then ubiquitous modernism, Stirling won fame because his work
was more feasible and often got built. Some of his famous large-scale projects
include the Neue Staatsgalarie museum, Stuttgart (1983) and the History Faculty
Library (1967), Cambridge UK. He won the prestigious Pritzker Prize, British
Knighthood and had an architectural prize named in his honour, which is still
awarded yearly.
Reyner Banham, a
prominent British architectural critic and writer brought Archigram much public
attention through positive reviews which he continued throughout their
assembly. He noticed the members even before the assembly of Archigram, and
published a review of Micheal Webb’s High Wycombe Furniture Manufacturer’s
Building in 1959. Banham published extensive writing on cutting edge designers
and supported the design movement focussing on technology before formal
structure from its inception. Banham moved to America in later life and
continued to review the Archigram members working there until his death in
1988.