Highpoint
North Hill, London N6
Architect: Berthold Lubetkin
Register for similar homesInspire me“Perhaps the single most celebrated modernist building of the 1930s in London, praised even by Le Corbusier”
This outstanding apartment is situated on the fourth floor of Highpoint I, arguably one of the finest examples of residential modernist architecture in London. For more information, please see the History section below.
The Architect
Designed by pioneering modernist architect Berthold Lubetkin in the 1930s, Highpoint has been listed as Grade I by English Heritage in recognition of its extraordinary architectural rarity and quality.
The Tour
This particular apartment is situated in the middle of the Highpoint building. Entry is gained through smart double doors in dark hardwood that lead the way to the main living spaces. The apartment emerges beyond a green curved wall and a pillar in Yves Klein blue, gradually revealing a row of Crittall windows with treetop views to the northeast. There is a guest WC and a storage cupboard to one side of the front door.
The modern kitchen is positioned on one side of the plan, arranged around an island with solid oak worktops and stainless steel shelves. A flexible room, nominally the fourth bedroom, but often used by the current owner as a study, is located between the kitchen and the WC. The large open-plan living and dining rooms occupy the heart of the home and are bathed in natural light care of a long row of windows, which lead out to a private balcony via a glazed door.
The western wing of the apartment contains three double bedrooms, which are arranged around a large shower room. Each of these rooms is bathed in natural light through their original Crittall windows, and each has built-in wardrobes.
The Building
Highpoint is immaculately maintained. The boiler, lifts, roof, exterior and windows were all repaired recently, and there are no major works expected in the near future. This particular flat has a share of the freehold with a very long lease.
The building has lift access, glorious communal gardens with extensive lawns, a climbing frame, residents’ tennis courts and a heated outdoor swimming pool. There is also a 24-hour comprehensive porter service, whose duties include helping to arrange maintenance and repairs for each flat, organising medical assistance, receiving deliveries and so forth.
There is off-street parking for residents on a first-come-first-served basis. Each flat has a sizeable space in the basement for storage, and there is a bike shed in the garden.
The Area
Highpoint is conveniently located within a short walk of the numerous shops, cafés and restaurants of Highgate Village, and Highgate underground station (Northern Line). The open spaces of Hampstead Heath and Kenwood House are close at hand, and the Parkland Walk, a disused railway line lined with mature trees, runs from Highgate Tube station down to Finsbury Park.
Tenure: Leasehold with Share of Freehold
Lease: approx. 990 years remaining
Service charge: approx. £12,200 per annum (including buildings insurance, management charges, repairs to shared areas, concierge, sinking fund, storage unit and bike store, communal gardens, tennis courts and swimming pool)
Ground Rent: approx. £50 per annum
Council Tax Band: G
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The Highpoint apartments, so-called because of their location on an elevated site, are one of the best examples of early International Style architecture in London. They were built in two phases: Highpoint I in 1935 and Highpoint II in 1938.
In his book Modern: The Modern Movement in Britain, Alan Powers wrote:
“Perhaps the single most celebrated modernist building of the 1930s in London, and praised even by Le Corbusier, Highpoint I was commissioned by Sigmund Gestetner, an industrialist with a strong interest in the social role of modernism. The footprint developed as a Cross of Lorraine, with equal arms, each containing a single flat, reached from two stair and lift cores at the intersections. The building is entered beneath the projecting end of the long axis, and the ground-floor plan bends and flows in contrast to the more rigid geometry overhead, leading to the stairs and through to the gardens beyond.
“The construction in monolithic reinforced concrete was a collaboration with Ove Arup and was facilitated by lifting the shuttering by stages to form the walls. The details of servicing and fittings were meticulously thought through, producing some novel alternative solutions.”
