Robin Hood Gardens in Tower Hamlets, East London, was designed by Alison + Peter Smithson and completed in 1972. In 2008, this large social housing scheme was threatened with demolition and became a controversial conservation case. The government refused to give it protection as a historic building despite widespread public support for its retention. This book uncovers the history of the project, arguing for its historical and architectural significance and for its future role in local housing provision. It includes contributions by architects Richard Rogers and Zaha Hadid, with previously unpublished text and pictures by Alison + Peter Smithson and photographs by Sandra Lousada and Ioana Marinescu.