Byker

Byker was built in the 1880s to house the workers of Newcastle's industries. In the 1960s, it was crowded, worn and stinky. Erskine had a reputation for dealing with social problems and was commissioned to renew the area. He started by setting up an office on site where residents could turn with both wishes and complaints. This gave him insights into how the process could be driven forward so that the buildings were renewed while the togetherness lasted. The result was a dense and small-scale settlement framed by a long wall to the north: The Byker Wall. Today, the area is once again worn out and without the social cohesion that Erskine planned for. Byker got off to a good start, but no architecture can do without a society that cares.