A show on British cooling towers explores these sculptural giants
'British Cooling Towers - Sculptural Giants' is a new exhibition created by Twentieth Century Society (C20 Society) and Margaret Howell, presented during the London Festival of Architecture 2023

'British Cooling Towers - Sculptural Giants,' an exhibition focusing on the architectural value and historic legacy of this industrial typology and piece of brutalist architecture, is opening to the public this weekend. Launched by Margaret Howell in association with the Twentieth Century Society (C20), the show is located at the brand's space on Wigmore Street and forms part of the London Festival of Architecture (LFA) 2023, which kicked off this week.
'British Cooling Towers - Sculptural Giants': a brutalist exploration
Bold and beautiful, these mesmerising architectural structures have had a powerful impact on the British landscape – and this show aims to celebrate and discuss it, as C20 is undertaking a campaign to raise awareness of the immediate threat British cooling towers face.
'The Twentieth Century Society have been at the forefront of protecting modern heritage for more than 40 years, but saving cooling towers is perhaps our biggest challenge yet. These ‘Sculptural Giants’ have a presence unlike any other structures in the British landscape, yet within just a couple of years all the surviving examples are scheduled to be decommissioned and demolished. This new exhibition celebrates their engineering and artistic bravura, the impact they’ve had on all our lives, and looks at how these are relics of the carbon age,' says C20 director Catherine Croft.
The exhibition features captivating photography by Luke O'Donovan, mixed with historic imagery from the RIBA archives - offering context of past and present, in the hopes to inform the cooling towers' future. To that end, a panel discussion chaired by Catherine Croft, Director of C20 on the 14 June in the space aims to provide more food for thought and instigate conversation.
'British Cooling Towers - Sculptural Giants' is on at the Margaret Howell flagship shop, 34 Wigmore Street, 3 - 18 June
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
londonfestivalofarchitecture.org
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
We explore the world of XPeng, a Chinese brand challenging for market domination in the UK
XPeng is the latest Chinese manufacturer to bring a bevy of BEVs to the UK market, splicing class-leading tech with competitive prices
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Enter Marea Beverly Hills, an Italian restaurant with Californian gusto
Conceptualised by Nusla Design and led by chef PJ Calapa, Marea Beverly Hills brings in a sophisticated dining party ambience to flourishing Camden Drive
By Carole Dixon Published
-
The story behind Pamela Anderson’s dazzling costumes in ‘The Last Showgirl’
‘The Last Showgirl’ costume designer Jacqueline Getty unpacks Pamela Anderson’s outfits in the Gia Coppola-directed movie, which are rooted in the glittering history of the Las Vegas revue
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
Walk through Frinton Park Estate and its Streamline Moderne aesthetic
‘Frinton Park Estate’, a new book by photographer James Weston, delves into the history of a modernist housing scheme in Essex, England
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Conran Building's refresh brings a beloved London landmark into the 21st century
Conran Building at 22 Shad Thames has been given a new lease of life by Squire & Partners, which has rethought the London classic, originally designed by Hopkins, for the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Inside Powerhouse: The redevelopment of Lots Road Power Station, which once fuelled the London Underground
The twin-turreted building has followed in the footsteps of Battersea Power Station, being transformed into luxury homes and retail units
By Anna Solomon Published
-
Sadler’s Wells East opens: ‘grand, unassuming and beautifully utilitarian’
Sadler’s Wells East by O’Donnell and Tuomey opens this week, showing off its angular brick forms in London
By Tom Seymour Published
-
2025 Serpentine Pavilion: this year's architect, Marina Tabassum, explains her design
The 2025 Serpentine Pavilion design by Marina Tabassum is unveiled; the Bangladeshi architect talks to us about the commission, vision, and the notion of time
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
We celebrate the emerging London architects to be excited about
These emerging London architects are some of the capital's finest ground-breakers, movers and shakers; heralding a new generation of architecture
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
From a mobile pub to a thatched canopy: Japanese architecture and craft explored at AA show in London
'Distillation of Architecture', a new AA show in London, pairs architects with materials and makers in an exploration of craft through the Japanese lens
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A library in a London telephone box? This is a charming reading nook full of surprises
Set in a restored London telephone box, Upper Street Little Library is a cosy beacon to encourage reading to the wider community
By Tianna Williams Published