Highpoint One and Two: Difference between revisions
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Highpoint One and Two | Two blocks of appartments(so called because they are located on a hill - the Highgate Ridge - and offer a brilliant view over Hampstead). Designed by the Russian-born architect Berthold Romanovich Lubetkin (14 December 1901 in Tiflis (Georgia)- 23 October 1990) and built by his firm Tecton. Lubetkin, who emigrated to London in 1931, became a modernist pioneer of the capital. (His built projects also include the London Zoo penguin pool and the Finsbury Health Centre.) | ||
Highpoint One was built first (1933-1935) and one year after completing the first complex of flats, Highpoint Two was erected in 1936-1938. Both blocks are characterised by clear geometric figures and technical ingenuity. Hightpoint One is a seven-storey double-cruciform block and consists of sixty-four apartments. In the concern of innovation and technical equipment the buildings were very advanced for the 1930s - Highpoint One offered two elevators in the lobby, long sliding folding widows, central heating, built-in refrigerators. | |||
Highpoint Two is the smaller one, containing only twelve maisonettes instead of the sixty-four flats, but these were designed much more luxuriously, e.g. dramatic high living rooms reveal a fantastic view over the extensive gardens. Before the 1930s this concept of living in apartment blocks was not usual in Britain. Berthold Lubetkin was inspired for this social housing project by travelling e.g. through Russia and Germany and brought this idea of international architecture to England. Tourists and visitors of London who want to take a sightseeing trip to the two modern housing landmarks in Britain, have to visit the following address: North Hill N6 (Highgate), North London, England. | |||
Revision as of 11:09, 12 December 2011
Two blocks of appartments(so called because they are located on a hill - the Highgate Ridge - and offer a brilliant view over Hampstead). Designed by the Russian-born architect Berthold Romanovich Lubetkin (14 December 1901 in Tiflis (Georgia)- 23 October 1990) and built by his firm Tecton. Lubetkin, who emigrated to London in 1931, became a modernist pioneer of the capital. (His built projects also include the London Zoo penguin pool and the Finsbury Health Centre.)
Highpoint One was built first (1933-1935) and one year after completing the first complex of flats, Highpoint Two was erected in 1936-1938. Both blocks are characterised by clear geometric figures and technical ingenuity. Hightpoint One is a seven-storey double-cruciform block and consists of sixty-four apartments. In the concern of innovation and technical equipment the buildings were very advanced for the 1930s - Highpoint One offered two elevators in the lobby, long sliding folding widows, central heating, built-in refrigerators.
Highpoint Two is the smaller one, containing only twelve maisonettes instead of the sixty-four flats, but these were designed much more luxuriously, e.g. dramatic high living rooms reveal a fantastic view over the extensive gardens. Before the 1930s this concept of living in apartment blocks was not usual in Britain. Berthold Lubetkin was inspired for this social housing project by travelling e.g. through Russia and Germany and brought this idea of international architecture to England. Tourists and visitors of London who want to take a sightseeing trip to the two modern housing landmarks in Britain, have to visit the following address: North Hill N6 (Highgate), North London, England.
Sources:
Allan, John: Bertold Lubetkin. London: RIBA Publications, 1992.
Sharp, Dennis: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Architects and Architecture. New York: Quatro Publishing, 1991.
http://www.open2.net/modernity/3_4.htm
http://housingprototypes.org/project?File_No=ENG002