I lived in this Tower in 2000's. The apartment was large and the views were great and most of all at the time the rent was affordable considering the location.
I live in a block of flats 10th floor (top floor) and it's lovely. I loathe the way some people use living in social housing to excuse their bad behavior and criminality. It gives the political administration the chance to say Social Housing is bad for you. The answer - not improve social housing,which a lot of is fine anyway,but do away with Social Housing. And now we are at the place that leads to.
Well done, Rob: incredibly well researched! How do you find the time? London is so full of great history - I spent much of 1972 in Kensal Rise but kick myself that I never looked in on Kensal Green Cemetery. Reckon a Who's Who there would be interesting..! 🙃
@@janebaker966 In 2017-18 I lived in a block of flats in China on the 18th floor. I loved it. No problems with antisocial behavior whatsoever. I used to live in a highrise in Finsbury Park, which could've been heavenly if the residents had given the building the respect it deserved. Some people just like to live in squalor and inflict their pathology on society.
Just goes to show that architecture isn't usually what holds back social housing - it's the lack or absence of community. The simple process of introducing a concierge managed to flip the satisfaction almost on its head. I do Architecture at University and I often tell my tutors this - one half of architecture is designing, the other is people. Great video.
An informative and beautifully edited video (including sound). I wish 2 Willow Road had been described as a three family home, clearly seen in the bright numbered front doors. No doubt reflecting a social or collective spirit, Goldfinger created one continuous backyard allowing young resident children to play together, under six adult' gazes. I have not visited a single Goldfinger structure. Videos like this significantly augment written accounts and architectural drawings. Thanks again!
Hi Rob, excellent video, I use to live and work there in the 2000 when it was managed by a tenant's TMO. It was my dream job, I was given a flat on the 21st floor and an office on the ground floor where I managed the block and surrounding area. The residents in the block and surrounding area were brilliant. 😊👍🏽🇯🇲
I imagine he was a man of strong self belief. Often that can be enough, to mark a person as difficult. Principled visionary, how else could he have left such a distinctive legacy. Thank you again Rob, I knew this story would be a good one!
I was lucky enough to live on Golborne Rd in the late 90s, and Trellick Tower was basically the first thing I saw every morning riding into the centre to my first pickup of the day (the bridge at :32 is basically next door to us and 12:23 looks like it was taken out front of O'Porto cafe where my housemate and I would have a coffee and pastel de nana before going to our respective jobs every morning). I say lucky, because finding a place to live, even in those days, was ridiculously hard and expensive, especially for transient foreigners. I spent the first 6months living in a 6-br dorm in a hostel on Queensway, w2. When I went back a year later for another 6month sentence in London, I ran into a former lover I had had a brief tryst with during my first London sentence. I mentioned my living difficulties and she offered me to live at hers on Golborne. I was a bit sceptical, because she was cute and Welsh, so sex with her was usually painful and ended with scrapes and bruises. Luckily for me, and with a bit of a blow to my ego, it transpired that she had moved on from me and had found a new vic...i mean, boyfriend. So, hell ya, I moved in. Apparently, her family was wealthy, because she owned the whole building, and I set up on the landing between floors (enough space for a bed and to stand, also with my own wc) for 50quid/week.It's funny that I only lived there about a year, i felt I lived there for years, the community was immediately warm and welcoming. In fact, one housemate was dating the local druglord/dealer manager, so even more built-in protection. And Trellick Tower, to me, is like the visual representation of my time living on Golborne rd. Thanks for the memories.
Thanks for going back to original sources, to sort fact from myth, and to rediscover Goldfinger's original intentions. It's good that his work is now appreciated, rather than just being used as a scapegoat for social problems. My favourite building that might be called 'brutalist' is Ashington House in East London, designed by Noel Moffett. He was an Irish architect whose complex forms were said to have been influenced by Giant's Causeway.
Before I got to the end I was thinking of the times I'd seen it on movies and tv even here in America and thought it an interesting place. But I'd never known anything about it. Thank you so much for the video, I loved it!
Hi Rob, Hope you are keeping well, Thank you for another top video, I am really enjoying your content with fascinating subjects, Well done Sir. Thank you
@Robslondon I appreciate the effort you put into your Channel! I am a 1980s kid who grew up with the Pretenders on Mtv. Long story short, the landmark Trellick Tower just glimpsed in the background was the key to (me) figuring out that music video filming location: the intersection of Southern Row & Middle Row (North Kensington)
I’ve just got a chance to watch this Rob and I’m very impressed. I’ve always liked brutalist design personally and I think the Trellick looks amazing. I’ve heard stories that back in the late 70s and 80s people were literally given keys to live there due to its reputation. Imagine that now! I’d definitely love to live there. All the best and thanks again for another brilliant and professional video.
It's funny that you posted this yesterday. I was out on a walk near Portobello Road yesterday and thought I would try to go up to see the views from the top floor. There is only one lift working at the minute but it's very fast. It took about a minute to get to the 30th floor. The views up there of London are amazing! It's really windy up there though and it wasn't even a windy day..must be pretty terrifying on a windy day. Anyway, I'm glad I saw the inside before it is gentrified and they throw out the working class people like they have at Balfron Tower. It certainly is an iconic building. Then I got home and you'd posted this! Interesting stuff. (FYI...An ITV drama called Next of Kin starring Archie Panjabi was filmed there too)
@@HunkumSpunkum Not every resident caused trouble; as always it was a minority of people making it a misery for everyone else. And there are still working class people living there today.
This video is wonderful 💯 Your research never ceases to amaze. I had a friend who lived in Trellick Tower in 1973. I remember visiting her and her mother. I must say that as a person who worked in Local Government, in the Housing Department in Southend -on-Sea at that time, TT was superbly designed (in contrast to some tower blocks in Essex of that period) and i am glad at its renaissance 👌 Thank you once again, Rob, for your expert attention to detail in the making of this video 👌
This is another really good video. . So well researched and presented. Better than most TV documentaries. I remember seeing this Tower when I worked as a nurse in St Mary's. This shows the difference between luxury flats and council property. Mainly a disaster in the early days because they wouldn't invest in security.
Great video! I first knew about Erno Goldfinger thanks to a March 1999 article in 'The Guardian' G2 tabloid. At that point, I was always fascinated by the tower blocks around Oldham (which has had a few lost schemes like the deck access flats in St. Marys and Sholver estates, and Partington's tower blocks on Crete Street and Primrose Bank). Since that article, I learned a bit more about Goldfinger, and your video is a worthy companion to the books I read later. Well done, Rob!
You’re certainly going up in the world with this production Rob. I used to live in Hampstead and walked past Goldfinger’s house twice a day. I don’t recall seeing him though.
With this video you knocked it out of the park yet again! You not only provide fascinating information which would be hard for the lay person to cobble together from various sources, you also imbue (is that a word?) a certain magic that inspires me to visit these places in person. I'll be off to London this week -hopefully once the scorching weather has softened a little.
I used to stay on the 21st floor after working late at the Electric Cinema on portobello road circa ‘84. That lift was scary at 2am. The view was amazing especially at night.
Rob I knew the face could not be a politician, nothing so boring on your channel A complete break away from your usual videos, nothing moving just blocks of bricks and concrete Super research and presentation as always Will wait for the taster of your next project “No pressure “
Incredibly researched especially finding all the film and video clips at the end. Congratulations on another London triumph. We spent last summer with our narrowboat along the Grand Union and mooring next to Trelleck was a real highlight! We’re heading back that way soon!
As with evryone here i always enjoy your vids and am truly touched by the outpouring of support shown here in the comments section. Keep up the great work. Alwaus look forward to the alerts. Be well.
That means so much to me Sam, thank you. It’s support from good people like yourself which really keeps the channel going. Thank you again and stay well.
Wondered about that sticky-out bit on Hille House for years as it's not in keeping with anything in the immediate area. Now I know it's a Goldfinger design. Thank you, Rob.
This building was featured today on BBC2 Andy Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts. really interesting building. Thanks for the great video and the algorithm for knowing I want to learn more about it.
Hi Jingho, many thanks for the kind words. Yes, I was lucky enough to catch the programme- came across it by chance! Really enjoyed it; Andi did the Trellick proud and she clearly has a lot of affection for the building. Glad it brought you here too ;-) Thanks again and stay well.
Thanks Rob. Great to see it survive the decades and become a sought after location. Goldfinger would have been proud. Well documented and detailed video as always….cheers
Fascinating to hear Goldfinger speak! Kudos to Rob, of course. To everyone watching, reading and commenting, please try to persuade a couple of friends to subscribe so we can get Rob over the magic number (100k) by Christmas! 👍👍👍
Excellent Rob! I really like Brutalist architecture but hub is a real aficionado of post war concrete, and the work of Goldfinger an Peter and Alison Smithson. Also, brilliant clips of film including Bedazzled! A great watch, thanks.
The music in the end compilation, coupled with the hard, futuristic for the time Brutalist architecture puts me in mind of Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange".
Thank you Michael, that was the feel I was going for 😉 I almost included some Clockwork Orange clips… but thought it would be a bit too bleak! Cheers and stay well.
Brutalist architecture always stirs up good debate! We have a number of striking examples here in Winnipeg (our city hall, concert hall and theatre centre) and some people who never even lived when their Victorian predecessors existed still complain about the concrete replacements! I love the brutalist style and functionality. (Kudos on the nice usage of the newly restored Blur video 👌🏼😄)
As always, great video. Thanks Rob! I'm a fan of Goldfinger's (the architect) work, though generally not a fan of Brutalism...Trellick Tower is one of my faves.
Really enjoy your videos ! TV (old fashioned over airwaves not cable) is dead here in BOregon... Your channel here on YT a very welcome treat, thank you .
I’m behind on your videos so have had a very pleasant afternoon catching up! As always, another very well researched and informative video. I’m not a fan of this style of architecture although I do appreciate it and it’s great to learn about its history. Thanks Rob! ❤
Thank you for a revealing and informative video! Personally I hate brutalism. These structures never fit into their environment and to me always look depressing, but hey, that's just my 2p.
Was Alexander Fleming House built as residential accommodation? I was living nearby in Kennington when Metro Central Heights was created from it. My recollection was that this was an office to apartment block conversion...one of the first in London....
@@Robslondon Thanks. Led me to look it up online. The Wikipedia page says Alexander Fleming House was converted to residential from office space by St George (who also built St George's Wharf at Vauxhall) in 1997. AFH was first occupied by the Ministry of Health until they were moved in the early 90s due to "sick building syndrome"....great film btw!
Hey Rob. what a marvelous video. I think Goldfinger may of managed a smail over this had he been around today. especially hearing of the turn of fortune for the iconic Trellick. Interesting character and like many gifted people, they all seem to have a quirky side to them. So the mix of being a friendly guy coupled with a stubborn side with an angry demina would fit well. I would think some of that may stem from his own frustrations at wanting to be a perfect achitect and designer and leaving behind a really well thought of legagcy. The fact his wife gave the house to the NAtional Trust says that they were pretty decent people underneath it all. Plus if he was that bad would anyone of actually gone to his parties at the Trellick? I fear not. So I am sure many accepted his character in good faith. I had heard of him before, but did not realise he had done so many places. Especially all the schools. As always a pleasure to watch your videos.Keep safe and best wishes to you and family.
My family moved in early 1970’s on 21st floor. There was a caretaker, a nice man. The flats were large inside and well lit but life was grim for my mum with 3 young children. Playing out did not happen. We moved 1976. My dad drunk in the Prince Arthur across the road .
yea really interesting, i like the way you do talk about the persons background, like the fact Goldfinger was from Budapest Hungary, and went to Paris, although we got the brutalist architecture instead of Paris!, i like the interior of his buildings but not so much the outside, although i really love the concert halls on the southbank and they are really nice to perform in. I prefer them even to the Royal Albert hall. another nice one Rob Thanks!
sooo good, Rob! and the music throughout was great! well-chosen! i love Goldfinger's work myself. i love a bit of brutalist! big fan of midcentury architecture in general. anything 1950s-1970s. my pet hate is the following architectural era - postmodern, 80s, 90s. i cannot stand it. it drives me quietly nuts 😁 cheers, Rob!
Thanks for this insight into the complex challenges that often come with the design of unboring places. You mentioned the Penguin Pool, which is another fascinating tale you might consider investigating. I love the Penguin Pool’s distinctive design and have taken at least 50 photos of it. Alas, the penguins had issues with it - bumblefoot! - and the site has had its up and downs over the years.
I briefly met Mr Goldfinger around 1982, he needed some metal work done. He couldn't stay because his mother became stuck in her lift. By at least the 1960's the shop in Golders Green sold lingerie and at night had the name S. Weiss emblazoned in orange neon lighting.
He did a building on Albermale Street, near Green Park. I remember chopping through the ridiculously thick floor slabs as a teenager in the 90’s to modernise the electrics.
I've only ever lived in Arizona and California, so I don't really understand the tendency of highly urban areas to pack people like sardines into giant mounds of stone, brick, or concrete. Nonetheless, this was a very interesting introduction to brutalist architecture. Thanks, Rob!
Went passed this on the other day on the bone rattler 🚂 it’s the service tower that gives it the distinctive look. What’s house in the room at the very top of the service tower - the bit that sticks out? Not sure I’d like to live there though. Fab music by the way, will dig out my bedazzled lp - must look up the film again too. 🤓👍
@17.12 Dont you mean north downs, south downs are near the south coast, 60 miles away. But the north downs (almost 800ft AOD) are only 10 - 15 miles from there. Not even the 489ft latest tower in Croydon breaches the horizon of said hill. Interesting nevertheless.
Emmy the Great did a song caller Trellick Tower. I think that was when I first became aware of it. I'll have to see if I can squeeze in a visit to Goldfinger's house when I'm in London this summer.
Excellent and very interesting video. I know the building, of course, but was not familiar with it's history or Erno Goldfinger. My immediate feeling is that his interiors are much nicer than the exteriors.
Worked at Highpoint in 1980's doing internal decoration on a largely unmodernised flat. Original kitchen with a butler sink and an oak draining board. External walls had cork between internal plaster and external concrete in guise of insulation. I heard Gilbey's warehouse in Camden Town floated on cork blocks to soften vibration from adjacent railways.
What improvements did Goldfinger include in his Trellick design that he learned from his stay in Balfron? I know Glenkerry House (where I live) has some but I’ve not heard of specifics re. lessons learnt from Balfron applied to Trellick.
Specifically I don't know.... only Goldfinger himself and residents who know the difference between the two would be able to tell. Could be something as subtle as a change to the broom cupboards!
@ the most obvious improvements he included at Glenkerry (and maybe also Trellick) over Balfron were to do with pipes and conduits. In Balfron many were set into concrete and so very hard to maintain or replace. That’s one of the reasons Balfron’s refurbishments were so costly and couldn’t be done while occupied. (Although I suspect Poplar HARCA were glad of the excuse to decant as it made switching it to 100% private much easier…)
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
This channel is more informative and entertaining than the whole of TV.
What a great comment and I concur 100%.
Bless you Stephen, that means so much to me. Thank you my friend.
@@Robslondon My pleasure. My comment comes with total sincerity and from the heart.♥️
Totally agree.
Agreed 👍
I lived in this Tower in 2000's. The apartment was large and the views were great and most of all at the time the rent was affordable considering the location.
Great comment, thank you. I agree; I know someone who lives in a Goldfinger flat, it’s nice 😉 Stay well
I live in a block of flats 10th floor (top floor) and it's lovely. I loathe the way some people use living in social housing to excuse their bad behavior and criminality. It gives the political administration the chance to say Social Housing is bad for you. The answer - not improve social housing,which a lot of is fine anyway,but do away with Social Housing. And now we are at the place that leads to.
Well done, Rob: incredibly well researched!
How do you find the time?
London is so full of great history - I spent much of 1972 in Kensal Rise but kick myself that I never looked in on Kensal Green Cemetery. Reckon a Who's Who there would be interesting..! 🙃
@@janebaker966 well, it doesn't help that councils see fit of such flats as a dumping ground for problem tenants.
@@janebaker966 In 2017-18 I lived in a block of flats in China on the 18th floor. I loved it. No problems with antisocial behavior whatsoever. I used to live in a highrise in Finsbury Park, which could've been heavenly if the residents had given the building the respect it deserved. Some people just like to live in squalor and inflict their pathology on society.
When i worked at the RIBA Drawings Collection in the 80s Erno would occasionally visit. I liked his visits. He used to call me, 'Dear Boy'.
Lovely 😄 Thank you for sharing that
❤
Just goes to show that architecture isn't usually what holds back social housing - it's the lack or absence of community. The simple process of introducing a concierge managed to flip the satisfaction almost on its head. I do Architecture at University and I often tell my tutors this - one half of architecture is designing, the other is people. Great video.
Thank you so much; excellent thoughts.
An informative and beautifully edited video (including sound). I wish 2 Willow Road had been described as a three family home, clearly seen in the bright numbered front doors. No doubt reflecting a social or collective spirit, Goldfinger created one continuous backyard allowing young resident children to play together, under six adult' gazes. I have not visited a single Goldfinger structure. Videos like this significantly augment written accounts and architectural drawings. Thanks again!
Lovely comment Steve, thank you. Much appreciated.
Nothing on TV, thank heavens there's a new RobsLondon to enjoy with a coffee 🙂
😄 Cheers Rob!
Hi Rob, excellent video, I use to live and work there in the 2000 when it was managed by a tenant's TMO. It was my dream job, I was given a flat on the 21st floor and an office on the ground floor where I managed the block and surrounding area. The residents in the block and surrounding area were brilliant. 😊👍🏽🇯🇲
A great comment Everton. Enjoyed reading that; cheers 😉
And thanks for the kind words! Much appreciated.
I imagine he was a man of strong self belief. Often that can be enough, to mark a person as difficult. Principled visionary, how else could he have left such a distinctive legacy. Thank you again Rob, I knew this story would be a good one!
Excellent comment Anne. Thank you.
I was lucky enough to live on Golborne Rd in the late 90s, and Trellick Tower was basically the first thing I saw every morning riding into the centre to my first pickup of the day (the bridge at :32 is basically next door to us and 12:23 looks like it was taken out front of O'Porto cafe where my housemate and I would have a coffee and pastel de nana before going to our respective jobs every morning). I say lucky, because finding a place to live, even in those days, was ridiculously hard and expensive, especially for transient foreigners. I spent the first 6months living in a 6-br dorm in a hostel on Queensway, w2. When I went back a year later for another 6month sentence in London, I ran into a former lover I had had a brief tryst with during my first London sentence. I mentioned my living difficulties and she offered me to live at hers on Golborne. I was a bit sceptical, because she was cute and Welsh, so sex with her was usually painful and ended with scrapes and bruises. Luckily for me, and with a bit of a blow to my ego, it transpired that she had moved on from me and had found a new vic...i mean, boyfriend. So, hell ya, I moved in. Apparently, her family was wealthy, because she owned the whole building, and I set up on the landing between floors (enough space for a bed and to stand, also with my own wc) for 50quid/week.It's funny that I only lived there about a year, i felt I lived there for years, the community was immediately warm and welcoming. In fact, one housemate was dating the local druglord/dealer manager, so even more built-in protection. And Trellick Tower, to me, is like the visual representation of my time living on Golborne rd. Thanks for the memories.
Great comment, thank you for sharing- enjoyed reading that! Stay well :-)
Brilliant, always been fascinated by the Trellick, it spelt eyesore in the 1980s but now of course its appreciated for the gem that it always was.
Thank you Michael!
Thanks for going back to original sources, to sort fact from myth, and to rediscover Goldfinger's original intentions. It's good that his work is now appreciated, rather than just being used as a scapegoat for social problems. My favourite building that might be called 'brutalist' is Ashington House in East London, designed by Noel Moffett. He was an Irish architect whose complex forms were said to have been influenced by Giant's Causeway.
Great comment Roland, and thank you for there kind words
Thanks! Very interesting and well presented 🎉
I really appreciate that, thank you so much 😄 Very kind
Greetings from New Jersey! I really like your videos. The topics covered and presentation are always great.
Thank you so much! That's really kind of you; truly appreciate the kind words and support. Thanks again and stay well.
Before I got to the end I was thinking of the times I'd seen it on movies and tv even here in America and thought it an interesting place. But I'd never known anything about it. Thank you so much for the video, I loved it!
It’s a pleasure Jay, thanks for watching!
Hi Rob, Hope you are keeping well, Thank you for another top video, I am really enjoying your content with fascinating subjects, Well done Sir. Thank you
Dave, thank you so much! Really appreciate your kindness. Hope you’re keeping well, all good here cheers 😄
Trellick Tower appears very briefly in the background towards the end of the music video for the song 'Brass in Pocket' (1979) by the Pretenders.
Ah! Didn’t know that, thank you!
@Robslondon I appreciate the effort you put into your Channel! I am a 1980s kid who grew up with the Pretenders on Mtv. Long story short, the landmark Trellick Tower just glimpsed in the background was the key to (me) figuring out that music video filming location: the intersection of Southern Row & Middle Row (North Kensington)
Excellent video! I visited the Tower a week ago. Fascinating to see more of Ernö's work in London, too.
Much appreciated, thank you! I've always wanted to get inside the Trellick but have not had the chance yet. Stay well. :-)
I’ve just got a chance to watch this Rob and I’m very impressed. I’ve always liked brutalist design personally and I think the Trellick looks amazing. I’ve heard stories that back in the late 70s and 80s people were literally given keys to live there due to its reputation. Imagine that now! I’d definitely love to live there. All the best and thanks again for another brilliant and professional video.
Wonderful comment Rjb, thank you- and thanks for the kind words 😄
One of the five 3br duplexes recently sold for £1.1m. An amazing and well designed and beautifully executed building
😳
It's funny that you posted this yesterday. I was out on a walk near Portobello Road yesterday and thought I would try to go up to see the views from the top floor. There is only one lift working at the minute but it's very fast. It took about a minute to get to the 30th floor. The views up there of London are amazing! It's really windy up there though and it wasn't even a windy day..must be pretty terrifying on a windy day. Anyway, I'm glad I saw the inside before it is gentrified and they throw out the working class people like they have at Balfron Tower. It certainly is an iconic building. Then I got home and you'd posted this! Interesting stuff. (FYI...An ITV drama called Next of Kin starring Archie Panjabi was filmed there too)
You got in?! Very lucky!!
@@HunkumSpunkum Not every resident caused trouble; as always it was a minority of people making it a misery for everyone else. And there are still working class people living there today.
I do not admire the brutalist style at all, but sometimes when they get it right it really is stunning. Thank you for the video!
Thank you Daniel!
This video is wonderful 💯
Your research never ceases to amaze.
I had a friend who lived in Trellick Tower in 1973. I remember visiting her and her mother. I must say that as a person who worked in Local Government, in the Housing Department in Southend -on-Sea at that time, TT was superbly designed (in contrast to some tower blocks in Essex of that period) and i am glad at its renaissance 👌
Thank you once again, Rob, for your expert attention to detail in the making of this video 👌
Fantastic comment Christine, and thank you so much for the kind words! Stay well 😄
👋 @Robslondon 🤗
Thank 👋. you 🤗 Rob 👋
You 👋 too 🤗
This is another really good video. . So well researched and presented. Better than most TV documentaries. I remember seeing this Tower when I worked as a nurse in St Mary's. This shows the difference between luxury flats and council property. Mainly a disaster in the early days because they wouldn't invest in security.
Great comment and thank you so, so much for the kind words- truly appreciated Anthony. Stay well.
Thanks Rob. I really enjoyed this one as my brother lived in Trellick in the 90s. They are nice flats inside and it’s a great location.
Great comment Mia, thank you ☺️
You just popped up on my feed.
Thank you algorithm.
😄 Good to have you here!
Great video! I first knew about Erno Goldfinger thanks to a March 1999 article in 'The Guardian' G2 tabloid. At that point, I was always fascinated by the tower blocks around Oldham (which has had a few lost schemes like the deck access flats in St. Marys and Sholver estates, and Partington's tower blocks on Crete Street and Primrose Bank). Since that article, I learned a bit more about Goldfinger, and your video is a worthy companion to the books I read later.
Well done, Rob!
Wonderful comment Stuart, thank you so much- I really appreciate your kind words
You’re certainly going up in the world with this production Rob. I used to live in Hampstead and walked past Goldfinger’s house twice a day. I don’t recall seeing him though.
Thank you so much Mark 😉
So educational! Thank you for such amazing work!
Thank you! Much appreciated
With this video you knocked it out of the park yet again! You not only provide fascinating information which would be hard for the lay person to cobble together from various sources, you also imbue (is that a word?) a certain magic that inspires me to visit these places in person. I'll be off to London this week -hopefully once the scorching weather has softened a little.
Your comment made my morning Paul. Thank you so much my friend; really appreciate it. Stay well and thanks again.
@@Robslondon Cheers Rob!
I used to stay on the 21st floor after working late at the Electric Cinema on portobello road circa ‘84. That lift was scary at 2am. The view was amazing especially at night.
That would be scary! 😬
Thanks Rob, we live in countryside North Scotland and it is great to see your films around London, such a contrast and so well produced.Subbed.
Thank you Gary. I love Scotland ;-) Good to have you here.
Thank you for this dive into one of my favorite brutalist buildings! I always thought it might have helped inspire Ballard's High Rise.
So kind Jacq, many many thanks indeed. Really appreciate your kind words and financial support, it means a lot to me.
Rob I knew the face could not be a politician, nothing so boring on your channel
A complete break away from your usual videos, nothing moving just blocks of bricks and concrete
Super research and presentation as always
Will wait for the taster of your next project “No pressure “
Thanks so much Butch, hope you’re keeping well 😉
Incredibly researched especially finding all the film and video clips at the end. Congratulations on another London triumph. We spent last summer with our narrowboat along the Grand Union and mooring next to Trelleck was a real highlight! We’re heading back that way soon!
Fantastic comment Ian. Thank you so much, enjoyed reading that 😉
This channel is my new favorite! Great work Rob! Now I'm trying to convince the misses to go on vacation in london❤
Thank you so much! Hope you make it here soon 😉
Another excellent Sunday evening video.
Thank you Paul!
An extremely informative video and I've subscribed too.
Thank you Sarah! Good to have you here.
I am glad the architect's vision has been realized again but it's a shame it's no longer affordable. Excellent video!
Lovely comment, thank you!
Excellent video! Glad I found this channel.
Thanks Alan! Good to have you here.
The building is pure Art. From that area .. iconic
😉
As with evryone here i always enjoy your vids and am truly touched by the outpouring of support shown here in the comments section.
Keep up the great work. Alwaus look forward to the alerts.
Be well.
A very nice comment Indeed.
That means so much to me Sam, thank you. It’s support from good people like yourself which really keeps the channel going.
Thank you again and stay well.
Wondered about that sticky-out bit on Hille House for years as it's not in keeping with anything in the immediate area. Now I know it's a Goldfinger design.
Thank you, Rob.
A pleasure Graham, glad to be of service 😉
Great and interesting content. I enjoyed watching it and loved it. Keep up the good work. Thanks. 👍👍👍😍😍😍
Thank you Sharon ☺️
This building was featured today on BBC2 Andy Oliver’s Fabulous Feasts. really interesting building. Thanks for the great video and the algorithm for knowing I want to learn more about it.
Hi Jingho, many thanks for the kind words.
Yes, I was lucky enough to catch the programme- came across it by chance! Really enjoyed it; Andi did the Trellick proud and she clearly has a lot of affection for the building. Glad it brought you here too ;-)
Thanks again and stay well.
Another fascinating and beautifully pitched film. Thanks Rob
I truly appreciate that, thank you
Thanks Rob. Great to see it survive the decades and become a sought after location.
Goldfinger would have been proud.
Well documented and detailed video as always….cheers
Thanks so much Doug. Hope you’ve had a good weekend 😉
Quality RUclips!
Superb video, great channel, subbed!
Thank you so much! It’s good to have you here 😄
Fascinating to hear Goldfinger speak! Kudos to Rob, of course. To everyone watching, reading and commenting, please try to persuade a couple of friends to subscribe so we can get Rob over the magic number (100k) by Christmas! 👍👍👍
You’re a total star. Can’t express how much your support means to me Tragicyouth
@@Robslondon You're very welcome, Rob.
Another wonderful video! I always watch your vids as soon as I can!!!
Much appreciated Martha, thank you!
A very interesting and informative video. First class Rob as always.
Thank you 😉
Excellent Rob! I really like Brutalist architecture but hub is a real aficionado of post war concrete, and the work of Goldfinger an Peter and Alison Smithson. Also, brilliant clips of film including Bedazzled! A great watch, thanks.
Lovely comment Nellie, thank you
sterling work as always rob thanks for all the hard work u do buddy
Cheers mate, much appreciated as always
@@Robslondon well done rob cheers buddy
Great video Rob! I work down the road from hille house in watford and one of my clients has the workshop at the rear.
Thanks- and nice 😉
The music in the end compilation, coupled with the hard, futuristic for the time Brutalist architecture puts me in mind of Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange".
Thank you Michael, that was the feel I was going for 😉 I almost included some Clockwork Orange clips… but thought it would be a bit too bleak! Cheers and stay well.
Brutalist architecture always stirs up good debate! We have a number of striking examples here in Winnipeg (our city hall, concert hall and theatre centre) and some people who never even lived when their Victorian predecessors existed still complain about the concrete replacements! I love the brutalist style and functionality. (Kudos on the nice usage of the newly restored Blur video 👌🏼😄)
Great comment Pat, cheers!
As always, great video. Thanks Rob!
I'm a fan of Goldfinger's (the architect) work, though generally not a fan of Brutalism...Trellick Tower is one of my faves.
Thank you ☺️
This is amazing Rob! Your a talented guy 👍
Really appreciate that, thank you!
Another great video, Rob. Great historical recollection of the man.
Thank you so much
Thank you so very much ! That was really interesting!! You certainly can tell a story. Great research and great presentation 👍👍 Well done 😂
You’re a gentleman MrJohn, thank you!
Another informative video, Rob never lets us down !
Thank you Rachel
Really enjoy your videos ! TV (old fashioned over airwaves not cable) is dead here in BOregon... Your channel here on YT a very welcome treat, thank you .
Thank you so much ☺️
Trellick was featured in the film 'Shopping' starring Jude Law and Sadie Frost and I'm pretty sure it appeared in the film 'Kidulthood' too.
Yep! 😉
Fascinating. I have done lots of research on Goldfinger and his buildings, so this was a nice recap.
Thank you!
Genuinely brilliant content.
Much appreciated, thank you so much
great video - often passed that building in watford and wondered if it had an interesting history, you never disapoint!
Thanks wendalboy ;-) Hope you're keeping well.
I’m behind on your videos so have had a very pleasant afternoon catching up! As always, another very well researched and informative video. I’m not a fan of this style of architecture although I do appreciate it and it’s great to learn about its history. Thanks Rob! ❤
Lovely comment as always Louise! Thank you ☺️
I think the architecture is great, it’s of a time, but also stood the test of time, iconic, regardless if it’s liked or not
Great video Rob 👍🏻
Thanks Maverick, nice comment
Another great video Rob. I knew I'd seen it on tv, so was probably tuckers luck or the professionals.
He definitely had something that goodfinger.
😄 Cheers Paul!
Excellent video+ second time of watching it.
Really appreciate that, thank you!
Thank you for a revealing and informative video!
Personally I hate brutalism. These structures never fit into their environment and to me always look depressing, but hey, that's just my 2p.
You’re not alone robbicu 😉
thank you Rob! I always love your videos.
Thank you Nanou!
Another cracking video Rob 👍
Thank you Mark
Great to see Blur with For Tomorrow. Blur also mentioned Trellick in the song Best Days
Was Alexander Fleming House built as residential accommodation? I was living nearby in Kennington when Metro Central Heights was created from it. My recollection was that this was an office to apartment block conversion...one of the first in London....
Might have been mixed use?
@@Robslondon Thanks. Led me to look it up online. The Wikipedia page says Alexander Fleming House was converted to residential from office space by St George (who also built St George's Wharf at Vauxhall) in 1997. AFH was first occupied by the Ministry of Health until they were moved in the early 90s due to "sick building syndrome"....great film btw!
As a American learning about UK you are the best thanks
That means a lot to me thank you, especially as my Grandad was American 🇺🇸
Hey Rob. what a marvelous video. I think Goldfinger may of managed a smail over this had he been around today. especially hearing of the turn of fortune for the iconic Trellick. Interesting character and like many gifted people, they all seem to have a quirky side to them. So the mix of being a friendly guy coupled with a stubborn side with an angry demina would fit well. I would think some of that may stem from his own frustrations at wanting to be a perfect achitect and designer and leaving behind a really well thought of legagcy. The fact his wife gave the house to the NAtional Trust says that they were pretty decent people underneath it all. Plus if he was that bad would anyone of actually gone to his parties at the Trellick? I fear not. So I am sure many accepted his character in good faith. I had heard of him before, but did not realise he had done so many places. Especially all the schools.
As always a pleasure to watch your videos.Keep safe and best wishes to you and family.
Thanks so much for taking the time to write, John- lovely comment and thoughts 😄 Hope you’re keeping well.
My family moved in early 1970’s on 21st floor. There was a caretaker, a nice man. The flats were large inside and well lit but life was grim for my mum with 3 young children. Playing out did not happen. We moved 1976. My dad drunk in the Prince Arthur across the road .
Really interesting insight, thank you
yea really interesting, i like the way you do talk about the persons background, like the fact Goldfinger was from Budapest Hungary, and went to Paris, although we got the brutalist architecture instead of Paris!, i like the interior of his buildings but not so much the outside, although i really love the concert halls on the southbank and they are really nice to perform in. I prefer them even to the Royal Albert hall. another nice one Rob Thanks!
Great comment Sharon, thank you!
Yet another fascinating video. Thank you.
It’s a pleasure Jon. Thanks so much for watching
Thank you for the interesting video
Thank you!
Another very informative video...thank you!
Thanks so much Brett 😉
sooo good, Rob! and the music throughout was great! well-chosen! i love Goldfinger's work myself. i love a bit of brutalist! big fan of midcentury architecture in general. anything 1950s-1970s. my pet hate is the following architectural era - postmodern, 80s, 90s. i cannot stand it. it drives me quietly nuts 😁 cheers, Rob!
Thanks SarahLouisw- I share your views 😉
Thanks for this insight into the complex challenges that often come with the design of unboring places. You mentioned the Penguin Pool, which is another fascinating tale you might consider investigating. I love the Penguin Pool’s distinctive design and have taken at least 50 photos of it. Alas, the penguins had issues with it - bumblefoot! - and the site has had its up and downs over the years.
Thank you so much Sharon, lovely comment
I briefly met Mr Goldfinger around 1982, he needed some metal work done. He couldn't stay because his mother became stuck in her lift. By at least the 1960's the shop in Golders Green sold lingerie and at night had the name S. Weiss emblazoned in orange neon lighting.
Interesting comment, thank you.
Lived next to highpoint Highgate.. Good pubs!great video!
Thank you! Yes, great pubs around there 😉
Brilliant work as always 👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks so much Mick
He did a building on Albermale Street, near Green Park. I remember chopping through the ridiculously thick floor slabs as a teenager in the 90’s to modernise the electrics.
Yes, the SNCF building?
No Emma Peel reference while showing Highpoint? How can that be? :D Nice vid by the way. Much appreciated.
Can’t cover everything 😉 Cheers!
I've only ever lived in Arizona and California, so I don't really understand the tendency of highly urban areas to pack people like sardines into giant mounds of stone, brick, or concrete. Nonetheless, this was a very interesting introduction to brutalist architecture. Thanks, Rob!
Been to both Arizona and California; beautiful places 😎 Thanks for the kind words
Really good video
Much appreciated, thank you!
Went passed this on the other day on the bone rattler 🚂 it’s the service tower that gives it the distinctive look.
What’s house in the room at the very top of the service tower - the bit that sticks out?
Not sure I’d like to live there though.
Fab music by the way, will dig out my bedazzled lp - must look up the film again too. 🤓👍
Thank you, great comment! The jutting out bit is the old plant room I believe
Superbly informative, brilliant
Thank you so much Martin, that's really kind of you.
@17.12 Dont you mean north downs, south downs are near the south coast, 60 miles away. But the north downs (almost 800ft AOD) are only 10 - 15 miles from there. Not even the 489ft latest tower in Croydon breaches the horizon of said hill. Interesting nevertheless.
When researching I read it was the South Downs.
Thanks as usual Rob!
Thanks John!
Emmy the Great did a song caller Trellick Tower. I think that was when I first became aware of it. I'll have to see if I can squeeze in a visit to Goldfinger's house when I'm in London this summer.
That song is beautiful. I wanted to include and excerpt but copyright wouldn’t allow it sadly
What a cracking surname Goldfinger, fabulous
😄
Great video!
Cheers!
@@Robslondon 😊
Excellent and very interesting video. I know the building, of course, but was not familiar with it's history or Erno Goldfinger. My immediate feeling is that his interiors are much nicer than the exteriors.
Much appreciated, thank you! ☺️
Worked at Highpoint in 1980's doing internal decoration on a largely unmodernised flat. Original kitchen with a butler sink and an oak draining board.
External walls had cork between internal plaster and external concrete in guise of insulation. I heard Gilbey's warehouse in Camden Town floated on cork blocks to soften vibration from adjacent railways.
Cork insulation? Wow 😉
What improvements did Goldfinger include in his Trellick design that he learned from his stay in Balfron? I know Glenkerry House (where I live) has some but I’ve not heard of specifics re. lessons learnt from Balfron applied to Trellick.
Specifically I don't know.... only Goldfinger himself and residents who know the difference between the two would be able to tell.
Could be something as subtle as a change to the broom cupboards!
@ the most obvious improvements he included at Glenkerry (and maybe also Trellick) over Balfron were to do with pipes and conduits. In Balfron many were set into concrete and so very hard to maintain or replace. That’s one of the reasons Balfron’s refurbishments were so costly and couldn’t be done while occupied. (Although I suspect Poplar HARCA were glad of the excuse to decant as it made switching it to 100% private much easier…)
Interesting, thank you