Elain Harwood
© Historic England DP138033
© Historic England DP138033

Elain Harwood

A message from Historic England Chief Executive, Duncan Wilson.

We are very sorry to share the sad news about the sudden death of Elain Harwood, a valued colleague and friend.

Elain was a Senior Architectural Investigator here at Historic England and worked for us since 1984. She was outstanding in her field, a fierce advocate for twentieth-century architecture and a true heritage champion. 

Elain wrote many acclaimed books on her area of specialism, including ‘Space, Hope and Brutalism’ and more recently, ‘Brutalist Britain’. Her expertise was unrivalled and she shared it generously with colleagues, the public and her peers through her books, cycling tours, walks and talks. She inspired so many with her enthusiasm for the buildings and places of which she was such a passionate advocate. She will be sorely missed.

Our thoughts are with her friends and family.

Remembering Elain Harwood

On Saturday 18 November (09.30 to 17.00) at the Southbank Centre in London, the Twentieth Century Society (C20) and Historic England will be celebrating the life and work of Elain.

To book tickets, visit the C20 society website. Book to attend.