Falcon Point
Hopton Street, London SE1
Request viewingRegister for similar homes“An airy apartment with remarkable views towards some of the capital's most striking architecture”
This brilliantly bright one-bedroom apartment is set amidst iconic London landmarks on the banks of the River Thames. The airy living room looks out across the river to St Paul’s and the City, while the dining area has a vantage point over the courtyards of Tate Modern. Falcon Point is a wonderful example of the architecture and construction undertaken by the London County Council through the 1960s and 1970s and has become a landmark building along this stretch of the South Bank.
The Tour
The complexity of the architecture at Falcon Point is hidden in part by the grandeur of its surroundings but also by its own design. Playing with form and mass, the building avoids monolithic structures in favour of a staggered, recessive façade of yellow brick. The apartments tesselate to afford each flat panoramic views of the waterfront.
The apartment sits on the fourth floor and can be accessed by stairs or a lift. An unusually spacious hallway is lined with generous cupboards and opens to the living space.
This striking dual-aspect room is arranged into three clear zones. At the front of the apartment is a wonderful living area with views of St Paul’s Cathedral through original steel-framed windows. The kitchen sits centrally with a refined industrial aesthetic. Copper poles define the open shelving that bookends the space, along with fresh grey cabinetry and glazed ceramic tiles that cast light about the room. There are integrated appliances, a gas hob and plenty of worktop space.
A small step change in level delineates the dining area, where there are sweeping views across Tate Modern. Ribbon glazing wraps around the room’s corner position, creating a bright and sociable space. There is bench seating and plenty of room for a large dining table.
The main bedroom sits along the hallway. A generous room with space for storage, it has astonishing views across the river and the Millennium Bridge – all from the comfort of bed.
The adjacent bathroom blends brass fixtures and fittings with textural micro-cement and encaustic tiles and has a large walk-in shower.
Parking spaces are available to rent in the building.
The Area
Falcon Point occupies a sought-after location on the South Bank next to the River Thames. Tate Modern, with its exceptional new wing, is directly opposite. Borough Market and the bars and restaurants of the South Bank, as well as the Hayward Gallery and the National Theatre, are all on the doorstep. There is a particularly good art bookshop at the base of the building and various private art galleries nearby. A number of good food and coffee outlets have recently opened up in the Blue Fin Building, only a short walk away. The City can also be reached on foot via the Millennium Bridge.
The closest Underground stations are Blackfriars (District and Circle Line) and Southwark (Jubilee Line). London Bridge (Northern and Jubilee) and Waterloo (Jubilee, Northern and Bakerloo Lines), which also offer mainline rail services to the south of England, are within walking distance. Blackfriars Thameslink entrance is only a minute’s walk from the apartment and runs direct lines to Farringdon in approximately 5-10 minutes and Gatwick airport in 35 minutes.
Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: Approx. 152 years remaining
Service Charge: Approx. £3,200 annum
Council Tax Band: H
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
Falcon Point’s name derives from the notorious Falcon Inn that stood on the eastern side of the site in the 16th century. Enmeshed in London’s most-fabled periods of history, Samuel Pepys records that he sat here with a pint of ale watching the Great Fire of London blaze across the city. The inn’s proximity to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has led some to speculate that the Falcon Inn was also a local for the Bard himself.
As the centuries progressed, the riverfront became an area of wharves, warehouses, and trade ports. But in 1947, the tides were shifting, and the Corporation of the City of London was envisaging riverside open space as part of the candidly titled ‘Plan’, which never saw action. Industry cleared out as trade shifted east, and in 1971 the London Borough of Southwark began strategising the development of a mixed-use space with offices, hotels, and houses.
The public were sceptical; eventually the only residential development constructed on Bankside was Falcoln Point in 1978, with its 110 council flats adjacent to the soon to be decommissioned Bankside Power Station – now Tate Modern – all with river frontage and views over the Thames.