{"product_id":"poplar-architecture-walking-tour-saturday-26-september-2026-10-30am","title":"Poplar architecture walking tour - Saturday 26 September 2026 10.30am","description":"\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"sqsrte-large\"\u003eJoin Open City for a walking tour exploring Poplar — a working class area of London’s East End transformed by pioneering mid-20th century architecture focused on a range of public benefits\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003ePoplar is an area of massive and ongoing transformation where slum housing was replaced with futuristic visions of a built environment dedicated to delivering a better world for all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eProfoundly shaped by optimistic experiments in serving the ‘public good’, this deeply historic post-industrial district remains at the forefront of contemporary urban reinvention to this day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eRecently, Poplar has achieved fame through the popular book and television series, ‘Call the Midwife’, which tells some of Poplar’s working-class history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eHistorically, Poplar’s fortunes were tied to the wealth and employment from London’s docks and that history echoes through to buildings in Poplar such as the Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest home and the George Green building.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eThe tour starts at the busy Chrisp Street Market, remodelled after the Second World War as part of the Lansbury neighbourhood, with its famous clock tower designed by Frederick Gibberd.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eUsing an original site map, we will trace the estate’s original buildings and layout of as part of the 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition and see a unique home that housed some of its first residents.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003eThe tour will conclude at Ernő Goldfinger’s Balfron Tower which was recently the focus of a major redevelopment. Along the way, this walk will explore the various debates prompted by Poplar’s history including the roles of local government, planning, housing and gentrification. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey information\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv title=\"Page 1\" class=\"page\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"section\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"layoutArea\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"column\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"block-de46f678e19c8ca5a991\" data-block-type=\"8\" data-block-json='{\"existingGallery\":null,\"newWindow\":false,\"methodOption\":\"transient\",\"active-alignment\":\"left\",\"aspectRatio\":null,\"auto-crop\":true,\"autoplay\":true,\"autoplay-duration\":5,\"blockAnimation\":\"none\",\"collectionId\":\"618963f288e9155cbeae2b32\",\"controls\":true,\"design\":\"slideshow\",\"meta-position\":\"bottom\",\"show-meta\":true,\"show-meta-basic\":true,\"show-meta-only-title\":false,\"show-meta-only-description\":false,\"show-meta-on-hover\":false,\"square-thumbs\":true,\"thumbnails\":false,\"vSize\":null,\"transientGalleryId\":\"618963f288e9155cbeae2b32\"}' class=\"sqs-block gallery-block sqs-block-gallery\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1636972394179_298\" class=\"sqs-block-content\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1636972394179_173\" class=\"sqs-gallery-container\n  sqs-gallery-block-slideshow\n  \n  \n  sqs-gallery-has-controls\n  \n\n  \n    sqs-gallery-block-show-meta sqs-gallery-block-meta-position-bottom\n    \n  \n  sqs-gallery-block-show-meta\n  \n  \n\n  \n  \n\n  \n  block-animation-none\n  clear\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"yui_3_17_2_1_1636972394179_193\" class=\"sqs-gallery sqs-gallery-design-stacked\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower E14 6AQ. The 2nd stop on the tour is Lansbury Lawrence Primary School\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeeting point what3words location: \u003c\/strong\u003e drip.lame.double\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDuration:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 hours approx\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEnd:\u003c\/strong\u003e Chrisp Street Market Clock Tower\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-rte-preserve-empty=\"true\" class=\"\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDistance:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2 miles approx\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"block-7240a3a06edf0871dcf2\" data-block-type=\"2\" class=\"sqs-block html-block sqs-block-html\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"sqs-block-content\"\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout your tour guide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eRosamund Lily West\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e is an architectural historian lecturing in Contextual Studies at KLC School of Design, West Dean and in design history and theory at Chelsea College of Arts. Prior to this, she worked as a Lecturer in Architectural Studies at the University of Manchester and as Research Fellow at the Survey of London based at the Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL, having previously worked in museums for fifteen years. She is interested in public and community engagement with heritage, public art and the built environment and has led architectural tours for the V\u0026amp;A, London Festival of Architecture and the Architecture Foundation. Rosamund recently completed her PhD, 'Concrete citizens' sculptures and the London County Council's housing schemes, 1949 to 1965' at Kingston University.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRosamund joined the Open City tours team in November 2021.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePhoto: \u003c\/strong\u003eby Merlin Fulcher\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"OpenCityShop","offers":[{"title":"Pay it forward ticket","offer_id":57092866310522,"sku":"TOURS","price":29.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Standard","offer_id":57092866343290,"sku":"TOURS","price":19.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Over 65 ticket","offer_id":57092866376058,"sku":"TOURS","price":13.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Under 25s ticket","offer_id":57092866408826,"sku":"TOURS","price":9.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Income support\/jobseekers ticket","offer_id":57092866441594,"sku":"TOURS","price":9.5,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1068\/1786\/files\/Poplar_Tours_2026_MerlinFulcher_10.jpg?v=1781524073","url":"https:\/\/shop.open-city.org.uk\/products\/poplar-architecture-walking-tour-saturday-26-september-2026-10-30am","provider":"Open City Shop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}