The Wonderful Golden Lane Estate, Barbican London. 1957-1962. By Chamberlin Powell and Bon. The three of them formed a partnership after Powell won with a design for an open competition for the site in 1951. The first part of the estate was completed in 1957, the last, Crescent House, was completed in 1962. Crescent House has similarities to the Barbican which they went on to design. The rest of the estate is lighter in design and with generous use of primary colours to identify different blocks. The most dominant feature of the estate is the 16 storey, Great Arthur House (1959) which recently very expensively had the failed aluminium and yellow panelled curtain wall cladding replaced to match the original, the replacement is looking very good! Flats over the estate range from studios to 2 & 3 bed maisonettes. A big proportion of the estate is made up of 5 medium rise slab blocks composed of double sided 2 bed maisonettes which are compact but beautifully designed and feature lovely concrete tread cantilevered staircases up the side of the living room walls. Such a relief this estate is Grade II & Grade II* (great Arthur House) listed as otherwise it might have been ruined with white plastic window replacements and cream paint by now!…It was built as key worker social housing for single people and couples by The Corporation of London. This photo, Great Arthur house reflected in the east elevation of Crescent House.

East elevation of Crescent House. Concrete skylights to carpark below in the foreground.

The garages below the Plaza

Cullum Welch House on the right, Crescent House at the back. Entrance to the garages bottom left, the roof of which partly forms a pedestrian plaza

Cullum Welch House left, rear of Crescent House right with its covered walkway to the rear elevation of the parade of shops.

Cullum Welch House with Great Arthur House to the left.

Cullum Welch House left which contains studio flats each with a concrete planter ledge with a concrete shelf over with holes cast for flowerpots, both accessed via sliding aluminium windows, such a great detail to give small studios a bit of outside space….Great Arthur House in the background

Great Arthur House West elevation detail

Great Arthur House. Skylights to garages below.

Great Arthur House. West Elevation.

Community Centre & Great Arthur House.

Towards the East Elevation of Great Arthur House

East Elevation of Great Arthur House. Rear elevation of Bowater House, maisonette block to the left.

East Elevation of Great Arthur House. End elevation of Bowater House to the left.

Detail of Great Arthur House and the replacement glazing to match the original.

Physical recreation building to the left and Basterfield House, to the right.

South elevation, Basterfield House, detail (two units)

South elevation, Basterfield House, detail (one unit)

Fred Scott and his wife’s terrace level maisonette (middle section) in Bayer House. I was taking photos and Fred kindly invited me in to take a look at his maisonette. Fred is former principle lecturer and course leader for Interior Design at Kingston university. The maisonette has all of its original fixtures and fittings. The terrace has been beautifully planted, is a real little oasis.

Living room, view too rear.

cantilevered Staircase with blue Lino inserts to the concrete treads.

Detail of the living room rear wall which screens off the entrance and kitchen.

secondary entrance under Stanley Cohen House

Ceramic brick screen under Stanley Cohen House

Lockups under Cullum Welch House

Lockups under Cullum Welch House

Lockups under Cullum Welch House