Architecture Near Me

As part of continuing professional development, I decided to visit some architecture near me in London. When considering what type of buildings to visit, being a residential architectural designer and huge fan of modernism, I am fascinated by mid-century domestic architecture. Searching the National Trust website, two houses caught my attention:

The first great example of this type of architecture near me is 2 Willow Road in Hampstead, designed by the architect Ernő Goldfinger (who also designed Trellick Tower) for himself in 1939. The design features ideas influenced by architect Le Corbusier and his five points of architecture, such as the piloti columns on which the house sits, the free floor plan enabled by the reinforced concrete frame, the horizontal strip window, and the flat roof. Instead of using white render (as Le Corbusier would have done) Goldfinger has used brick, which is more in keeping with the surrounding Victorian houses. The house initially attracted controversy in the press with one commentator saying that the house would be ‘disastrously out of keeping’ with the character of the neighbourhood.

The second great example of this type of architecture near me is The Homewood in Esher, designed by the architect Patrick Gwynne for his parents in 1938. Again, the design features ideas influenced by the architect Le Corbusier and his five points of architecture, such as the piloti columns on which the house sits, the free floor plan enabled by the reinforced concrete frame, the horizontal strip window, the white rendered façade, and the flat roof. The house’s balconies and glass curtain walls bear a striking resemblance to those of the Bauhaus building by Mies van der Rohe and the car undercroft is very similar in design to Villa Savoy by Le Corbusier. The owner was a keen gardener which is why he chose this heavily wooded plot to which he added willows and the Japanese maples with spectacular autumn colour.

So if you have time to explore some modernist architecture in London, then I would highly recommend visiting these two houses to learn more!