Tower block
From UK Housing Wiki
A tower block is a residential building of around 6 storeys or more, usually found in towns and cities, the majority of which were built in the 1960s.
Tower blocks were first built in the UK after the Second World War, in many cases as a "quick-fix" to cure problems caused by crumbling and unsanitary 19th century dwellings or to replace buildings destroyed by German aerial bombing. Initially, they were welcomed, and their excellent views made them popular living places. Later, as the buildings themselves deteriorated, they grew a reputation for being undesirable low cost housing, and many tower blocks saw rising crime levels, increasing their unpopularity. One response to this was the great increase in the number of housing estates built, which in turn brings its own problems. In the UK, tower blocks particularly lost popularity after the partial collapse of Ronan Point in 1968. The city of Glasgow in Scotland contains the highest concentration of tower blocks in the UK - examples include the Hutchensontown C blocks in the Gorbals, the 20-storey blocks in Sighthill, and the 31-storey Red Road flats in the city's north east.
There is no definitive figure for the number of tower blocks constructed in Britain during the postwar period as the definition of what a tower block is, is disputed. However, Twentieth Century Industrial Archaeology by Michael Stratton calculates that a total of 6,535 tower blocks were built, with the most intensive tower block construction period being between 1963 and 1967. Construction of tower blocks following 1972 declined with only 155 being built. This number is of the number of 6 or more storey blocks that were constructed. 42% of these blocks were built in London, 13% in Scotland and 7% in Birmingham.
In recent years, some council or ex-council high-rises in the United Kingdom, including Trellick Tower, Keeling House and The Barbican Estate, have become popular with young professionals due to their excellent views, desirable locations and architectural pedigrees, and now command high prices. Some have even developed to become listed buildings. However, many have also been demolished due to the cheap and poor construction methods used as well as the lack of maintenance. Despite this, many blocks have also been refurbished.
After a gap of around 30 years, new high-rise flats are once again being built in Birmingham, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, and Sheffield however this time for wealthy professionals. Their developers market these properties by using the American term 'apartment buildings', perhaps in an effort to distance these newer buildings from the older tower blocks from the 1950s and '60s.
