Live from Golden Lane

Boicozine HQ has just moved to Great Arthur House on the Golden Lane Estate in the City of London [housingprototypes.org] (for those who think I’m over stating the location, ‘City of London’ is the name given to London’s business district and it’s local council, often referred to by residents as ‘The Corporation’). The Golden Lane Estate [goldenlane.co.uk] is considered one of the key prototypes for community housing after the war and Great Arthur House was the first residential building designed by architects, Chamberlin, Powell & Bon [wikipedia] who went onto design and help construct the sprawling Barbican complex situated adjacent to the estate [barbicanliving.co.uk] and the, soon to be demolished, Milton Court building. It feels like kind of an experiment to see what it’s like to live in London’s first post-war highrise and an early prototype for ‘council built’ community living. Expect pictures and bits and bytes about this on Boicozine during the next year.

Fun facts about Great Arthur House:
— At the time when it was built (it was completed in 1957), it was the highest residential building in London standing at 15 stories high (not including the roof terrace).
— The complex includes a roof terrace with an ornamental pool and a 2 story structure under a sweeping canopy which currently houses the lifts and machinery. Although renovated a few years ago, the rooftop remains locked away due to health and safety regulations.
— Great Arthur House and the Golden Lane Estate are protected by a Grade II listing for it’s architectural importance as a community housing prototype and it’s relation to the Barbican.
— Many of the ‘quirky’ features installed inside Great Arthur House, such as the galley style kitchens and storage for various utilities inside entry ways, can be seen as early prototypes for features within the Barbican complex.