Holland Rise House
Clapham Road, London SW9
Architect: George Finch
Register for similar homes“Finch... saw architecture as a branch of the liberal arts, with the power to transform lives” - The Independent
Please note that we are unaware of any lenders providing mortgages on this estate at the present time.
Positioned on the ninth and tenth floor of an impressive modernist block, this two-bedroom split-level apartment has striking panoramic views of the London skyline. Designed by celebrated architect George Finch, Holland Rise House was completed in 1967.
The Building
Holland Rise House was designed by George Finch in the 1960s. Working with Lambeth borough architects, Finch’s design was replicated across several sites, including Holland Rise House on South Island Place, Edrich House, Ebenezer House, Fairford House and Hurley House on the Cotton Garden estate. Finch’s plan centred on a dentilated profile which, he explained, allowed residents to better pick out their own flat from the ground.
The Tour
This apartment was designed with light and modern living in mind. The corner aspect ensures it is beautifully bright throughout the day.
From the entrance hall, the main living space is straight ahead; full-width windows afford wonderful views towards the city. An original sliding glass panelled door enables this generous space to be open or closed to the kitchen and dining room beyond.
The recently refurbished kitchen is a bright space with ample room for a dining table and chairs beside the full-height sliding doors to the balcony. A bright white tiled splashback is paired with light grey units, establishing a fresh palette.
An open-tread staircase leads to the bedrooms on the tenth floor; this double-height space at the centre of the plan creates a sense of volume moving through the apartment. Beneath the stairs is a deep storage cupboard.
The main bedroom has plenty of built-in storage and far-reaching views. The second bedroom is similarly bright; it is currently configured as a study but has plenty of room for a double bed and more storage. A separate bathroom and WC sit just off the landing, where there is another generous storage cupboard.
The block is well maintained and has a concierge that operates on weekdays between 8am-5pm, a service that is included in the monthly service charge.
Outdoor Space
Occupying an enviable corner position means the ninth-floor balcony offers views that stretch around from Battersea and Clapham to the South and up towards the London Eye to the North; on a clear day, it’s possible to see St Paul’s. This is a wonderful sun trap with space for a table and chairs.
The Area
Oval is a thriving area with plenty of independent shops, cafes and pubs, including the Cable Café, 24 The Oval, Mimi’s Delicatessen and The Fentiman Arms.
There is a popular weekly farmers’ market at St. Mark’s Church in Oval. Grade II-listed Kennington Park is a 10-minute walk away and has public tennis courts and gym facilities. International Test Cricket matches are played throughout the season at the Kia Oval, just half a mile away. Nearby, Brunswick House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner from a Georgian Mansion, while Italo Delicatessen is a wonderful destination for locally-sourced organic produce.
Brixton and Clapham are nearby offering a range of independent shops, restaurants and cinemas. Particular favourites include the Micheline-starred restaurant Trinity, The Bobbin gastro-pub and Clapham Picture House.
The flat is very well located for central London, just an eight-minute walk from Oval tube station for access to the Northern Line and 12-minutes from Stockwell station for both the Victoria and Northern lines. New developments and Embassy Gardens at Nine Elms are nearby. A number of buses frequently run into central London and major cycle routes run along the Clapham Road.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx. 92 years remaining
Service Charge: approx. £3,000 per annum
Ground Rent: approx. £10 per annum
Parking: Residents can apply for a parking space in the basement
Council Tax Band: A
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
At the time it was created in 1965, Lambeth stood out as one of London’s most ambitious boroughs. Lambeth’s lead architect, Edward “Ted” Hollamby, invited George Finch to be one of two group leaders in the local area. Both Hollamby and Finch’s architecture was central to the council’s vision of building a modern, socially inclusive borough.
In January 2000, Jonathan Glancey wrote the following obituary on Hollamby in The Guardian:
“Edward ‘Ted’ Hollamby, who has died aged 78, was very much an architect of the 20th century, a public servant who believed not just in high-quality architecture but in the existence and nurturing of the public realm, of public architecture and civic design.”
In George Finch’s obituary for The Twentieth Century Society, Tom Cordell writes:
“Above my desk I have a copy of a sketch by the architect George Finch, who died this February aged 82. Drawn in the mid-sixties, it shows the interior of a flat. On the far side of the floor-to-ceiling windows a passing helicopter shows technology’s potential. On the balcony, nature is represented by some flowers and a bird which is happily resting on the railings. Indoors, it’s a convivial setting; we see a family about to have a meal together, next to a happily messy collection of books on the shelves. Looking the viewer straight in the eye, a smiling man announces: ‘What a lovely view’. The drawing is a vision of the future that also defines the artist. A lifelong socialist, George believed that a love of art, nature, knowledge and above all mankind would create a better world for all.”
Of himself, George Finch said: “I designed for everybody you know – this is the sort of house or flat I would like to live in. Everybody’s important. OK, they may be lower paid, but… all these people are very important to society.”
During the period around the formation of Lambeth Borough, government subsidies favoured the use of more economical construction methods like Large Panel System building. Using LPS to build a series of blocks across the borough, George pushed the system to its limits to create distinctive high quality housing. At Lambeth he also used more conventional techniques to build the masterful Lambeth Towers, its form of three interlocked towers expressing the joy that George felt should exist in all architecture.
The LCC was then the place to be for a socialist architect, remodelling bomb-ruined London into a fair city, with good schools and – above all – homes for all its citizens. George quickly established himself in the Housing Division with notable high-rise schemes in Stepney and Whitechapel, alongside experiments with low-rise high-density housing on the Old Kent Road.
