Regent’s Park Road
London NW1

SOLD

Architect: Ernö Goldfinger

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“The bold expression of the balconies is seen particularly as a foretaste both of Goldfinger's later works” - Historic England

Forming part of an important Grade II-listed building designed by Ernő Goldfinger, this wonderfully proportioned three-bedroom apartment is located on Regent’s Park Road. The third-floor apartment has a south-facing balcony and access to a beautiful communal garden. The building is one of Goldfinger’s first post-war works, built between 1954-56, and marks the first stage of his progression from the restrained modern classicism of his Willow Road terrace towards the tougher, exposed grid, which was to go on to dominate his later iconic works.

The Building

As described in the Historic England listing, “The bold expression of the balconies, with their mannered, pre-cast panels, is seen particularly as a foretaste both of Goldfinger’s later works and the general development of a tougher architectural idiom in brick and concrete by younger architects from 1958 onwards.”

The building is recessed from the road behind an area of forecourt. The central door opens to a communal lobby paved with quarry tiles, beyond which is a cantilevered staircase with open treads and slender steel balustrades reminiscent of those in Goldfinger’s now-demolished Player House in Surrey. Ten mailboxes lined in two rows represent the ten flats arranged over four floors. For more information, please see the History section.

The Tour

Inside, the apartment runs front to back with windows at each end. The living spaces are at the front of the building, while the bedrooms form a line along the garden side at the rear. The wide entrance hall bridges the two areas and tapers elegantly towards the bedrooms. A sunny south-facing balcony is accessed through refurbished glazed doors from the reception room.

The apartment has been expertly refurbished by the current long-term owner, who is an architect. Great effort has been made to install appropriate materials while gaining a fresh and sophisticated feel, notably the black and white resin floors. The original mahogany joinery, still present in the bedroom wardrobes (included in the listing), has been preserved where possible and matched in the new kitchen. The dividing door between the reception room and dining area still pivots to separate the two spaces or close off the kitchen.

In the basement of the building, there is a communal room containing a shared studio space, laundry room, and individual two-by-two metre storage rooms, one for each flat.

Outdoor Space

A large communal garden is beautifully planted and encircled by impressive mature trees. It is backed by neighbouring gardens that form a wonderfully peaceful enclave behind the buildings facing the surrounding streets.

The Area

Located a short walk from Primrose Hill and the green expanse of Regent’s Park, the apartment is close enough to London Zoo that it is possible to occasionally hear the roar of a lion. Camden is well known for its wealth of restaurants, pubs, bars and its world-famous market. It is also well positioned for the annual Frieze Masters and Frieze London art fairs that take place in Regent’s Park. Camden Town tube station is an eight-minute (0.4m) walk away, and Camden Road Overground station is a 14-minute (0.7m) walk.

Tenure: Leasehold with Share of Freehold
Lease Length: 99 years
Service Charge: approx. £1,500 per annum
Council Tax Band: F

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

Built in 1954-56, number 10 Regent’s Park Road was designed by Hungarian-born architect Ernö Goldfinger. Throughout his life, Goldfinger was interested in finding ways to build affordable high-quality housing. The 1936 Housing Act brought in measures which allowed seven or more people to pool their resources and forma  housing society – a non-profit association. The housing society could then raise a ninety per cent mortgage on a property. The scheme was particularly suitable for people with a reliable income but relatively little money available for an initial investment. It also gave members of the housing society significant control over the planning and subsequent running of their property.

According to Nigel Warbuton’s book, Ernö Goldfinger – The Life of an Architect, Goldfinger worked with one such housing association called the Regent’s Park Housing Society, which ten families had formed especially to develop a site on Regent’s Park Road. The site had been bomb damaged, creating a gap between the handsome stucco-fronted nineteenth-century houses that dominated the area. Goldfinger’s challenge was to create a block of flats that met his clients’ needs but did not disturb the rhythm of the street’s existing architecture, yet complied with his own particular aesthetic. The resulting block is an elegant solution reminiscent in many ways of Goldfinger’s own house on Willow Road in Hampstead.

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