Lubetkin and the
3 Bears
Once upon a time
there were 3 brown bears: Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear. They all lived
in a very, very small house and they were all really unhappy. But one day 2 men
came to visit; the Earl of Dudley and Mr Marsh; who promised to get the bears a
brand new house built, big enough for them all.
The bears were so
excited they decided it would be the perfect time to go for a walk. While they
were out enjoying the beautiful sunshine, a man; Berthold Lubetkin who was new
to this part of town spotted the bear’s small cage like house and decided to
have a closer look.
He knocked on the
door but there was no answer, so he just went inside. As Mr Lubetkin went into
the house he had to bend so far down he nearly fell over, the door was just too
small.
When he was
inside he couldn’t even stand up, so as he tried to move around the house he
just kept getting stuck! “This house is
just too small” he thought, “I wonder who lives here”
As Mr Lubetkin
tried to get out of the house he bumped into the 3 bears who were really
puzzled by this strange man squeezing out of their front door. “What do you
think you are doing in our house?” growled the bears.
“Errrrm errrm errrrmm
is this really your house?” Mr Lubetkin replied slightly scared. “Yes it is! But it’s far too small for us”
said the bears really sadly. “Well I was just passing by and was extremely
interested in such a strange building, Mr Lubetkin replied still slightly
shaking.
He then went on
to tell the bears how he had never seen such a thing and that their house was
wrong for them and he wanted to help them out. The bears sent Mr Lubetkin to
see The Earl of Dudley and Mr Marsh.
After meeting up
with the Earl of Dudley and Mr Marsh, Mr Lubetkin was ready to take on another
big project but he only had a short amount of time to do it. So he called on
some of his friends to help him out. “My friends the Tecton Group will help me.”
he told the bears. Mr Lubetkin really wanted to give the bears the best house
he could.
“Architecture is the tool for social progress”
he told them “a house without bars is what I am aiming for. Open –air is
definitely what you need.”
Mr Lubetkin
continued to tell the bears,
“To pass from theory to action requires the conjunction of the following factors: a political power of the kind we want – clear sighted with firm convictions and determined to bring into being the best living conditions that have been worked out and committed to paper; an enlightened population that will understand, desire and demand what the specialist have envisaged for it; an economic situation that makes it possible to embark upon and to pursue building projects which, in some cases, will be considerable.”
The bears looked
a little confused but still nodded and agreed with him as they were still
really excited.
Baby Bear was so excited
he kept rolling around and around, he got very dizzy.
Mummy Bear was so
happy. She was going to get lots of space and wouldn’t keep getting squashed by
Daddy Bear. Daddy Bear just wanted his family to be happy and somewhere he
could read his newspaper in peace.Mr Lubetkin and the Tecton Group got to work and a few weeks later he brought the 3 bears to see their new house. They went inside and looked around but they were still unhappy. “This house is just too square!” they moaned, “Too square?” Mr Lubetkin asked.
“Yes too square”
replied the bears. “I won’t be able to roll around and around in a square house!”
shouted Baby Bear.
“Ok” said Mr
Lubetkin “I
will sort it out for you.” So yet again Mr Lubetkin and the Tecton Group went back to work on a brand new house for the bears.
A few weeks later he returned and took the bears to see their new house. They were so excited.
As the bears got to their new house they were really puzzled by the look of it, “This house looks like a big chimney with lots of holes.” Mummy Bear said. Daddy Bear sighed, (Big Sigh) “let’s just go inside and take a look it might be perfect.”
So off they went inside the house. Mummy Bear walked around the house and was disappointed “This house is just too round.” she said.
“Too round?”
asked Mr Lubetkin
“Yes too round”
she replied “You walk around and around and end up back in the same place. Now
I’m all dizzy.” she said. With a very
sad face she sat down to rest.“Oh dear.” sighed Mr Lubetkin,
“Man makes his environment to co-operate with his purpose, his changing
preferences and pre-occupations produce a new environment. Which is at variance
with the previously established ways of thought. Yet this changed environment
itself generates change since it in turn conditions the new man with his newly
acquired needs and possibilities. And since Architecture clearly forms a
substantial part of our environment, it is logical to conclude that it
influences the changed man, however imperceptible and gradual this process
might be at times.” And off he went.
Daddy Bear looked
at Mummy Bear “What on earth was he talking about? Does he not realise we are
bears?” he asked. “Clearly not” replied Mummy Bear.
A few weeks
passed by and Mr Lubetkin returned with the best news ever. He promised the
bears that he had got their house perfect this time. “This is not just any house this will be your home” he said to the bears. They were all extremely excited and couldn’t wait to see this amazing house. So off they went.
As they reached the house Mr Lubetkin told them how this was his best design. He told them how he had managed to create them a big open-aired space, which would be easy to keep clean and really hygienic.
“Here
materials and shapes have been introduced which seek to re-establish what may
be called normal human contact. The natural wood in which the walls are
panelled has warmth, texture and variety. The occupant of the room can lean
against the walls without care, and even plant a dirty hand against them…. He
can throw rubbish on the fire and drop ash on the floor. These points may seem
to be small factors in interior architecture, but they are more important than
their practical expediency.” Mr Lubetkin said
The 3 bears were
rather puzzled and looked at each other,
As they were so
excited and couldn’t wait to get inside the bears didn’t question Mr Lubetkin, they
just entered the house and looked around. They knew it was perfect! They
all said “It’s not too square, it’s not to round, This Is just right!”
The bears were so
happy; there was so much space they couldn’t wait to show their friends. This
is such an amazing house. As a big thank you to Mr Lubetkin and the Tecton
Group the bears announced they were going to name their house The Tecton, which
made Mr Lubetkin very happy.
As the weeks
passed by more and more structures; a lot like the bears were built, eventually
there were 12. They were all called The Tectons. The 3 Bears were even happier as now they
weren’t alone and they always had many daily visitors.
After all the
structures had been finished and all the residents had moved in, Mr Lubetkin
made a grand announcement “I have the unfashionable conviction that the proper concern of architecture is more than self-display it is a thesis a declaration a statement of social aims of the age.”
Mr Lubetkin left believing he had given the 3 bears a paradise to live in and that they were destined to live happily ever after, but did they?
