Balfron Tower

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Coordinates: 51°30′49.1″N 00°00′31.7″W / 51.513639°N 0.008806°W / 51.513639; -0.008806

Balfron Tower

Balfron Tower is a 27-storey housing block in the Poplar district of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in the East End of London, United Kingdom. It forms part of the Brownfield social housing estate close to the northern approaches to the Blackwall Tunnel under the river Thames. Since 1996 Balfron Tower has been a Grade II listed building.

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[edit] Design

Balfron Tower is 84 metres (276 ft) high and contains 146 flats. Lifts serve all entry floors (that is every third floor); thus, to reach a flat on the 11th, 12th or 13th floors, residents or visitors would take a lift to the 12th. The lift shaft sits in a separate service tower, also containing laundry rooms and rubbish chutes; and joined to the residential tower by the seven walkways visible in the picture. The service tower is topped by a boiler room.

[edit] History

Balfron Tower was designed by architect Ernő Goldfinger and is associated with the Brutalist style of 1960s architecture. Goldfinger himself was pleased with the design and moved in to flat 130, on the 25th floor, for two months in 1968. He and his wife threw champage parties to find out what the residents liked and disliked about his design.[1] He applied what he learnt to his design for the similar and more famous Trellick Tower in west London. Goldfinger also designed Carradale House, also Grade II listed, and his studio later added Glenkerry House on the same estate; both complement Balfron Tower in style.

The building was given Grade II listed status in March 1996.[2] Carradale and Glenkerry Houses were also included in the Balfron Tower Conservation Area, designated in 1998.[3] The listing continues to attract comment, especially in view of the failure of another nearby Brutalist estate, Robin Hood Gardens, to obtain the same protection.[4]

In December 2007, following a ballot of residents in 2006, Tower Hamlets Council transferred its ownership of Balfron Tower and the surrounding Brownfield Estate to Poplar HARCA, a Registered Social Landlord.[5] The association is legally committed to carry out a full refurbishment of the tower. Pending these works, some of the flats are temporarily occupied by artists, who contribute to the community and put on displays in "heritage flat" number 123.[6]

[edit] Media coverage

The music video for the song "Morning Glory" by Oasis features various external shots of Balfron Tower in its opening scenes. In the first frame, One Canada Square at Canary Wharf is visible behind it.

Balfron Tower also features in Danny Boyle's post-apocalyptic film 28 Days Later, although this appearance is often mistakenly identified as Trellick Tower.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Alice Rawsthorn (2009-11-08). "Child's Play". New York Times. p. 4. http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/11/08/style/t/index.html#pageName=08rawsthorn. Retrieved 2009-11-23. 
  2. ^ Images of England — details from listed building database (469483) accessed 28 December 2008
  3. ^ Balfron Tower Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Guidelines, Tower Hamlets Council. Retrieved 2009-11-23
  4. ^ Brutalist towers are worshipped by the young urban crowd, The Times, 4 July 2008
  5. ^ 'Better quality of life', Tower Hamlets Council, 2007-12-18
  6. ^ Bow Arts In Balfron Tower, Londonist, 17 March 2009
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