Organisers of the annual Antepavilion commission in London are fighting to prevent "oppressive" Hackney Council from demolishing a series of subversive canalside pavilions.
The local authority is demanding the removal of a series of architectural structures at Hoxton Docks on Regent's Canal in east London, built as part of the annual competition run by arts and architecture charity Antepavilion and organised by the Architecture Foundation.
Hackney Council orders demolition of all Antepavilion installations
The council has issued a demolition notice for several Antepavilions plus other rooftop structures, none of which have planning permission, because they "detract from the architectural integrity of the 1960s warehouse they sit on," said the Antepavilion organisers. The structures at risk include a rooftop room disguised as an air duct by PUP Architects, a three-storey rooftop theatre by Mach Swift Architects (pictured above), and an inflatable performance venue on a barge by architects Thomas Randall-Page and Benedetta Rogers.
A pavilion disguised as an air duct by PUP Architects is under threat
"Hackney Council has issued a demolition notice to Antepvaillion, ordering the removal of all the existing installations that have brought joy to the people of London," they wrote on Instagram.
"Meanwhile, they have been ignoring all the representations to save Antepavilion coming in from supporters worldwide."
The Antepavilion team is co...