Vanishing City: The Story of East London's Chinatown 30 October 2012

 

30 October 2012

 

7:15 PM - 8:00 PM

Venue:

RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD

Description:

The Chinese presence in the London Docklands began in the 19th century, slowly forming a Chinatown in Limehouse near Pennyfields and Limehouse Causeway. The 1930s slum clearance project and Tower Hamlets council housing developments of the 1960s resulted in the demolition of the buildings in this Chinatown.
Today, there is little trace of its physical presence. Little is known about the histories and stories of the original Chinese residents. The 1920s and 1930s representations of Chinatown and its residents in novels and films fuelled the construction of the Limehouse Chinatown myth. Opium dens, gambling and crime were the recurring themes of works, such as Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu (1913 - 1930s) and Thomas Burke's tales of Chinatown (1915 - 1930s), further stigmatised and exoticised the place.
In this talk, Dr Yat Ming Loo will present some of the findings from his research Architecture and immigration in London: The lost history of Limehouse Chinatown (1900 -1970). The research aims to revise the history of the area, demystifying fictional representations and eliciting evidence for its material and social architectural history.
The talk will share the history and stories of the lost spaces and the Chinese community focusing on an important moment in the vanishing of Limehouse Chinatown.
Professor Iain Borden, Professor of Architecture and Urban Culture at UCL will chair this event.

Fees:

This is a free event and seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Booking:
Please contact Jessica Chapman on talks@riba.org to confirm your attendance.

Organiser:

RIBA