C ompleted in 1967, the
Balfron Tower, as well as the low-rise
Carradale House alongside it, remains one
of the best-known works of the legendary
modernist provocateur Ernö Goldinger.
Located on the northern approach to the
Blackwall Tunnel, in London’s Poplar, it’s
often seen as the East End’s equivalent
of Trellick Tower, and both share a silhouette
and certain details. But while the Trellick’s
fortunes ebbed and lowed before becoming
fashionable quarters, the Balfron never got
the same love and attention.
For decades, the bold concrete visions of
the 1960s and 1970s were for aicionados only.
In recent years, brutalism has been celebrated
in crisp black and white photography and
rendered in seductive graphics, yet all too
often the reality laged far behind. A chronic
lack of maintenance, plus the experimental
nature of concrete construction, might have
given these rain-streaked monoliths a certain
raw edginess, but up close, only the true
fetishist could get excited. Finally, though,
the rehabilitation is getting structural.
When it came to rebuilding the Balfron,
there was undeniable controversy. Opposition
from local interest groups focused on how
the block’s original quota of afordable
housing would be gone for ever. Its sale to
a housing association in 2007 was on the
understanding that some tenants could
choose to stay if they wished while a hefty
refurbishment took place. But by 2014,
when developer Londonewcastle took
on the onerous responsibility of updating
the structure, Carradale House was given
over to social housing and the Balfron
was designated entirely for private sale.
Architects Studio Egret West (SEW)
and Ab Rogers Design (ARD) have overseen
the update, with Brody Associates creating
signage and graphic identity. There’s also
a partnership with artist Ryan Gander,
who has developed a set of doormats, door
numbers and doorbell sounds, all based
on original Goldinger documents.
The Hungarian-born architect’s original
design aimed to create self-contained
communities in the sky. A separate service
tower not only deined the building, but
gave residents a place for laundry and
hobbies, including a designated ‘jazz/pop’
room. When they came to revamp the
building, SEW and ARD began by giving
updated functions to the service tower,
including a communal kitchen and dining
room for events that can’t be held in a
two-bedroom lat, together with a workshop,
cinema, library, gym and yoga room, as well
as a generous communal roof terrace. While
the building has been stripped back to the
structure, the basic layout remains, with »
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