Why We Need a Prefab Architecture Museum

In response to the severe housing shortage the UK faced after World War II, thousands of prefabricated houses were erected all over the country. Because they served as a temporary solution to the crisis, a Band-Aid intended to last only five to ten years, a lot of these structures have been demolished and that part of the UK’s history is barely hanging on. But, the country’s largest prefab community, Catford, in southeast London, is trying desperately to save the historic homes and has turned the Excalibur Estate into an exhibition space that provides visitors with a unique look inside a prefabricated home. The Prefab Museum, 17 Meliot Road, SE6 1RY, courtesy of Prefab Museum The Prefab Museum, a living exhibition of photographs, memorabilia, and a public archive, opened in March of this year as a space for sharing memories and art of post-war life in London. Though much of the development has already been demolished, the museum offers a space of contemplation and examination of one of London’s most unique neighborhoods. And, as proven by the museum’s success thus far, visitors from all over the country are excited by and intrigued by the site — in ...