The Past Sure Is Tense

Making shelter is a fundamental human activity, so, asks Former President of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Sunand Prasad - why don't we talk about it? The way we build reflects society's values and aspirations - but also its fears. In The Essay, Sunand Prasad takes us on a journey through Architecture, from the India he grew up in, to the Utopian vision of Le Corbusier, from the concrete carbuncles of Post-War Britain, to the design that will combat Climate Change.

In this first programme, he examines our relationship with buildings of the past 200 years, in a search for our mistrust of the new. And despite the failed Utopias of 60s tower blocks, Sunand Prasad sees a brave new architecture emerging in their wake.