Whittington Estate
Modernist housing estate in north central London
51°33′56″N 0°08′31″W / 51.5654878°N 0.1419120°W / 51.5654878; -0.1419120The Whittington Estate, also known as Highgate New Town, is a housing estate in the London Borough of Camden, North London, England. It was designed in a modernist style by Peter Tabori and Ken Adie for Camden Council's Architects Department.[1] Construction work commenced in 1972 and was completed in 1979, five years later than planned.[2] The estate was designed by Tabori initially as his final year project at the Regents Street Polytechnic under the name Highgate New Town; Sydney Cook, the head of Camden Architects Department went on to commission Tabori to make the estate a reality.[1]
Description
The estate comprises 6 parallel terraces with pedestrian streets running between; it is built primarily out of precast concrete with dark-stained timber used for the doors and windows.[1] Camden Architects Department are famous for their application of low-rise high-density design for their housing estates under Sydney Cook in the 60s and 70s, the Whittington Estate being a prime example of this design principle.[2] Flats are arranged in a ziggurat arrangement with south-facing balconies or terraces for each flat, giving each flat access to plentiful natural light.[1] There is a small park, a sports pitch and a children's playground on the estate grounds as well as numerous planters containing greenery lining the streets.
The pedestrian streets provide a safe, walkable area where children are able to play, residents are able to socialise and the estate's many cats are frequently seen.
References
- ^ a b c d Young, Jack (2022). The Council House (1st ed.). London: Hoxton Mini Press. ISBN 978-1-914314-16-2.
- ^ a b "Whittington Estate - Designing Buildings".
