The Long View

 Few London buildings command their neighbourhood as completely as Balfron Tower does 

Even from East India Dock Road, speeding past in a car, you can feel it: The Modernism. The continental tang. This is architecture with a capital S - for ‘Swagger’. It’s architect, Erno Goldfinger, Hungarian by birth, Modernist by creed, moved to London in the 1930s, after a stint in Le Corbusier’s Paris studios. Is it any wonder his vision would be this bold? 

You can get up close to the Grade II*-listed edifice during Open House Weekend this year. It’s back in the programme after a soon to be completed revamp by Londonewcastle, a joint venture with partners Poplar HARCA and Telford Homes first announced in 2015. 

As part of the refurbishment works, the architects on the project, Studio Egret West, has upgraded its thermal and acoustic performance, targeting BREEAM “Excellent”. Working in collaboration with Ab Rogers Design, they have also overseen the careful selection of the interior finishes of the tower’s apartments and maisonettes. The tower’s iconic form and concrete façade remain and have been carefully restored, repaired and cleaned, now with an additional rooftop garden, for use by the residents, and the playground will be restored and updated at ground level for public use. 

In addition, inspired by Goldfinger’s communal Jazz/Pop room, the service tower will include shared spaces for the residents, such as a music room, workshop, screening room, as well as cookery and dining rooms. 

Six heritage apartments, one of each of the original flat typologies designed by Goldfinger, are being reinstated, including the original apartment that Erno and Ursula Goldfinger famously lived in during 1968 to experience high-rise living. Designed by Studio Egret West, they will be working as close as possible to Goldfinger’s design, remaining faithful to the original room layouts while meeting today’s needs – such as the inclusion of modern appliances – alongside reclaimed heritage details and a historic colour palette. 

Whether Goldfinger’s experiment worked is a debate often heard, and it will be interesting to see how Londonewcastle’s regeneration of Balfron and the wider Brownfield Estate begins to connect with a new generation of Londoners intrigued by the capital’s social and aesthetic histories. It’s a great place to start. 

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