All but six of the Catford Excalibur Estate's 186 prefabricated bungalows, built by German and Italian prisoners of war in 1945 and 1946, are scheduled for demolition; nearly three dozen have already gone.
Photographer Elisabeth Blanchet has been documenting the estate, and worked with local residents to create a museum in one of the prefabs to celebrate the history of these modest buildings. The museum contains photographs, memorabilia and video interviews created and collated by Blanchet, as well as work by 16 other artists, writers and film-makers who share her fascination with prefabs. Initially a temporary initiative, the museum has been granted permission to remain in place until 2017 by the council.
The museum will be taking part in Open House London 2014 on Saturday September 20 and Sunday September 21, 10am-5pm. There will be tours of the Prefab estate at 2.30pm for a maximum of 30 visitors on both days. Last entry to the museum is at 4.45pm.