#ArchitectureFriday | A look at two masterpieces of British Brutalism – Balfron and Trellick Tower 🏢 Born #OnThisDay in 1902, architect Ernő Goldfinger became one of the most influential figures in British Modernism, with his bold approach to high-rise housing leaving a lasting mark on London’s skyline. Built between 1965 and 1967, Balfron Tower was designed as an experiment in high-rise social housing. Goldfinger separated the building’s services – including lifts, stairs and refuse chutes – into a neighbouring tower, connecting it to the residential block with enclosed walkways. These ‘streets in the sky’ were intended to foster a sense of community above ground level. Goldfinger was so committed to understanding the realities of high-rise living that he and his wife Ursula moved into Balfron for two months, hosting champagne parties for residents and listening to their experiences. He used what he learned when designing Trellick Tower. Completed in 1972, Trellick developed many of the ideas Goldfinger had explored at Balfron. Its 31-storey residential block is linked to a separate service tower by bridges, making the building’s structure, circulation and services integral to its dramatic sculptural form. Both towers were born from post-war optimism about the possibilities of high-rise social housing, but attitudes towards tower living changed dramatically. By the 1970s, they had come to represent some of the perceived failures of high-rise council housing. Today, their bold architecture and original social ambitions are celebrated, with both buildings now Grade II listed. Yet their renewed desirability also raises questions about gentrification and the changing role of social housing, as homes once designed for council tenants have become increasingly sought-after on the private market. 📸 Michael Heyward (2020), @jimmimichelsen, @dec_michal