Golden Lane Estate
Fann Street
London
EC1 0RD
Visitor Information
Architect: Chamberlin Powell and Bon
Built: 1952
Award: Housing Design Award 1961, 1965 and 2008; Grade II listed
Size: 28,000m²
During the Second World War the northern edge of the Square Mile was flattened by the Blitz and the residential community had all but left the area. The City had a duty to provide housing for its workers and in 1947 identified the need for a large housing development. A competition was run to develop the seven-acre site. Geoffrey Powell won, leading to the formulation of Chamberlin Powell and Bon (CBP) architects, who then went on to design the Barbican (where the design and use of materials varies less).
The architects were particularly influenced by the work of Le Corbusier and referred to his Maisons Jaoul in developing the design. They rejected the traditional urban form of streets lined with houses, instead creating an urban village with shops and a leisure centre within blocks of high density housing. CPB used textured concrete, terraces, balconies and landscaping to give a clear definition of planned spaces: private, public, transport, pedestrian, retail and community facilities.
The estate, named after Golden Lane which dates from 13th century, is formed of nine buildings with distinctive coloured panels. Some buildings are named after the old streets on the site such as Hatfield Street, Bayer Street, Little Arthur and Great Arthur Streets. Others are named after various Members of the City Corporation. The most prominent building is the 15-floor, yellow-panelled Great Arthur House; it was the first tower to exceed the 100ft height restriction and was, for a few months, the tallest residential building in London.
As the project developed the available land increased. Thus, the blocks were not designed simultaneously and stylistic differences are visible between the earlier curtain walled blocks with coloured glass infill panels and the later reinforced concrete block along Goswell Road. Spaciousness is created inside the tightly penned flats thanks to sliding partitions between living rooms and bedrooms and staircases within the living room in maisonettes. The landscaping on the estate was radical, with hard landscaped areas on different levels that responded to the varying forms and uses of the surrounding buildings. The simple, effective gradation of privacy is achieved without walls, gates or railings.
Unsurprisingly the accomodation (there are 554 flats) are highly sought after – for the central location and by those with an eye for first-class modernist design. The City of London Corporation owns and manages the estate.