Infamous Architecture - Trellick Tower
View from a train window
A view of the 'infamous' Trellick Tower - seen from the train out of Paddington, West London.
Trellick Tower is a Grade II* listed tower block on the Cheltenham Estate in Kensal Town, London. Opened in 1972, it had been commissioned by the Greater London Council (GLC) and designed in the Brutalist style by architect Ernő Goldfinger. The tower was planned to replace outdated social accommodation, and designed as a follow up to Goldfinger's earlier Balfron Tower in East London.
High-rise apartments and Brutalist architecture were falling out of favour by the time the tower was completed, and it became a magnet for crime, vandalism, drug abuse and prostitution. Its fortunes gradually improved in the 1980s after the establishment of a residents' association. Security measures were put in place and a concierge was employed, which led to lower crime levels. By the 1990s the tower had become a desirable place to live, and although it still contains predominantly social housing, demand for private flats has remained high. A local landmark, it has been Grade II* listed since 1998, and has retained its distinctive concrete facade as a result.
More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trellick_Tower
and photographs here: www.sosbrutalism.org/cms/15888709
You can see a random selection of my photos here at Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/9815422@N06/random/
Infamous Architecture - Trellick Tower
View from a train window
A view of the 'infamous' Trellick Tower - seen from the train out of Paddington, West London.
Trellick Tower is a Grade II* listed tower block on the Cheltenham Estate in Kensal Town, London. Opened in 1972, it had been commissioned by the Greater London Council (GLC) and designed in the Brutalist style by architect Ernő Goldfinger. The tower was planned to replace outdated social accommodation, and designed as a follow up to Goldfinger's earlier Balfron Tower in East London.
High-rise apartments and Brutalist architecture were falling out of favour by the time the tower was completed, and it became a magnet for crime, vandalism, drug abuse and prostitution. Its fortunes gradually improved in the 1980s after the establishment of a residents' association. Security measures were put in place and a concierge was employed, which led to lower crime levels. By the 1990s the tower had become a desirable place to live, and although it still contains predominantly social housing, demand for private flats has remained high. A local landmark, it has been Grade II* listed since 1998, and has retained its distinctive concrete facade as a result.
More info here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trellick_Tower
and photographs here: www.sosbrutalism.org/cms/15888709
You can see a random selection of my photos here at Flickriver: www.flickriver.com/photos/9815422@N06/random/