The Lawn Road Flats: Spies, Writers and Artists (History of British Intelligence)

Product Information

This apartment is favourably situated on the end of the building, with its own front door. To one side of the entrance hall is a galley kitchen, and to the other a south-facing reception room. Original sliding doors link to the bedroom, allowing it to be opened up or closed off as required. This space has windows to two aspects, giving leafy views onto trees and shrubs in the communal garden. There is also a modern bathroom with a utility area. The flat is offered for sale in good condition, having been newly carpeted and decorated. The communal garden has a patio area and attractive planting. This is an exceedingly rare opportunity to acquire one of the most important penthouses in London, positioned at the top of the Isokon, a building widely recognised as one of the finest achievements of Modern Movement architecture in the UK. Designed by the eminent architect Wells Coates and completed in 1934, the Isokon has been given a Grade I listing by English Heritage, placing it among the most historically important buildings in Britain. It has an outstanding location on a quiet road in Belsize Park.

The Isokon has been given an extremely rare Grade I listing by English Heritage, making it one of the heavily protected and historically significant buildings in the UK. Where the artists went, the critics followed, Nikolaus Pevsner and Herbert Read came, ate and drank, while Modern Movement architects were often found propping up the Isobar, particularly Erich Mendelsohn, Serge Chermayeff and of course, Wells Coates. Publisher and poet Francis Meynell recalled members were “all word-wise, as well as food-wise.” These genteel cultural pleasures, created jointly by chef and clientele, resulted in a long waiting list for membership at the Isobar right up until war broke out in 1939. The Isokon furniture company ceased trading at the outbreak of World War II but was restarted in 1963. The British architect Sir James Frazer Stirling was a resident during the early 1960s. In 1969 the building was sold to the New Statesman magazine and the Isobar was converted into flats. In 1972 the building was sold to Camden London Borough Council and gradually deteriorated until the 1990s when it was abandoned and lay derelict for several years. In 2014 the Isokon Gallery Trust was established by John Allan and Fiona Lamb of Avanti Architects. With the help of the National Trust, and to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the building, they have created an exhibition space on the ground floor of the building, which tells the remarkable story of its architecture, its residents and its iconic Isokon furniture.This combination of radical architecture and politics, alongside adventurous cooking proved to be irresistible for many of Hampstead’s local artists. Regular exhibitions were held in the Isobar and the basement transformed itself into an informal north-London salon, regularly attended by Adrian Stokes, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Naum Gabo.

Hunters are delighted to offer for sale this spacious 3 bedroom period mid terrace property set within a highly popular residential tree lined road within walking distance to fishponds high street. This lovely home is very well presented and would suit many buyers. To the ground floor there is a generous lounge, and an open plan kitchen/dining room. To the first floor you will find 3 bedrooms and a contemporary fitted shower room. Further benefits include, gas central heating via a combi boiler, double glazed windows and a lovely rear garden. Viewing is highly recommended, Accommodation: A welcoming entrance hall leads into the impressive large living room, an archway then opens to the dining room and then the lovely conservatory. The well appointed kitchen/breakfast room has an adjoining utility room and this leads both outside and into the double garage. There is a downstairs cloakroom and a study/potential ground floor fifth bedroom. Upstairs the first floor landing leads to the four bedrooms, three of which are good doubles and one a large single. Bedroom one has extensive fitted furniture giving lots of wardrobe space and also the benefit of an ensuite bathroom. There is then a main family shower room. A range of floor standing and wall mounted cupboards and drawers with one a half bowl sink unit, four ring gas hob with extractor over and oven below, space and plumbing for washing machine, tiled surround to work surfaces, tiled floor and part glazed door to garden.

Introduction

Importantly, it was Molly Pritchard who drew up the concept and the brief for the Lawn Road Flats, drawing on Gropius’s notion of the ‘Minimum Flat’ delivered at the C.I.A.M. conference of 1929. Molly delivered the brief to Coates, stipulating that they reflect ‘modern lifestyles’ and were to be aimed at young working women, as well as men. Coates was inspired by Le Corbusier, who believed that buildings should be “machines for living”, and as a result the 32 flats were designed to create the greatest possible utility and comfort out of constricted dimensions. They had simple built-in plywood furniture. Early advertising stated: “All you have to bring with you is a rug, an armchair and a picture.” Lawn Road is a quiet residential street in North London’s well-to-do Hampstead but for decades it saw the dramatic decay of one of England’s ground breaking modern buildings. Now the Lawn Road Flats are restored – and reveal again an ambitious concept of modern living conceived seventy years ago.

The bitterly cold night of Breuer’s farewell dinner in December 1937 was to be the last service run by Tommy Layton, the pioneering resident chef who procured rare and interesting beers for the Isobar members. He was replaced by Philip Harben, a flamboyant and charismatic cook who would go on to become one of Britain’s first television chefs. At Lawn Road, he was renowned for his adventurous cuisine, as well as his charisma, ostentatiously claiming that he “could scramble eggs and make mayonnaise long before [he] could read Thucydides or solve a quadratic equation.” The essential furniture for living were built “in situ” in each apartment. The idea was that each occupant take only their personal belongings and find everything you need to start work already done, the table, the chair with spring mattress and blankets, radiator, carpet, lights, mirrors, fridge, stove, hot water centralized, cleaning and general manager for the needs of the departments. This book tells the story of a remarkable Modernist building and its even more extraordinary cast of characters. Burke intersperses his painstakingly detailed research with fascinating glimpses of life at the time, drawing on stories and letters that bring his account into vivid relief." Shower Room - Contemporary luxury appointed with double tray having chrome effect overhead shower and separate shower off main system, low level WC, chrome effect heated towel rail, sink into storage unit with gloss fitted cupboard below, tiled throughout.Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. restrict its use for infectious patients. A short article in The Times on 22nd December 1880 further inflamed public concern.