56-775: Balfron Tower is a 26-storey residential building in Poplar , located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , London . Built in a Brutalist style, it forms part of the Brownfield Estate, an area of social housing between Chrisp Street Market and the A12 northern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel . It was designed by Ernő Goldfinger in 1963 for the London County Council , built 1965–67 by
112-689: A National Trust exhibition on brutalism. As residents were decanted, a campaign formed in December 2014 in an attempt to save 50% of the Balfron as social housing. In February 2015, residents and campaigners protested HARCA in February 2015 over fears that social tenants would be evicted. Shortly afterwards, it was announced that no social housing would be retained, and that all of the flats would be sold. Six "heritage" apartments have been retained with original layout and colour scheme, with fixtures matching
168-623: A "community workshop to explore how sound travels". In 2014, the National Trust refurbished flat 130, where Goldfinger lived, to resemble its appearance in the 1960s. The work was designed by Tilly Hemmingway, with objects donated by the Land of Lost Content , a popular culture museum in Shropshire. UK grime artist Wiley used Balfron Tower and the Brownfield Estate as the location for the music video of his track "P Money" in 2015, which
224-616: A 15-foot crucifix that stood on the site of the old high altar and a contemporary granite and light sculpture, A Doorway of Hope , by sculptor Nicolas Moreton . Poplar High Street is host to a number of landmarks as it had previously been the principal street in Poplar. These include the Old Town Hall , which has mosaic detail and is now a hotel. Poplar Bowls Club, founded in 1910, is part of Poplar Recreation Ground A recently reopened sports centre called The Workhouse stands on
280-465: A lift to the 12th. The lift shaft sits in a separate service tower, also containing laundry rooms and rubbish chutes, and joined to the residential tower by eight walkways. The maisonettes are on floors 1 and 2, and 15 and 16, causing a break in the pattern of fenestration on the west side. The service tower is topped by a boiler room. In 1985, the original concrete boiler flues were replaced with metal, due to concrete decay. Carradale House (1967–70)
336-509: A location in many British television programmes, often when an impression of urban deprivation was required. Some that used it extensively are "Faking It", the second episode of the BBC series Hustle ; the ITV series The Fixer ; and Whitechapel , a three-part drama series produced by Carnival Films. The tower is featured in the 1988 film For Queen and Country , starring Denzel Washington and
392-624: A new council housing estate was built to the north of the East India Dock Road and named the Lansbury Estate after him. This estate includes Chrisp Street Market , which was greatly commended by Lewis Mumford . The same era also saw the construction of the Robin Hood Gardens housing complex (overlooking the northern portal of the Blackwall Tunnel ) – designed by architects Peter and Alison Smithson – and
448-682: A part of the Port of London as Northumberland Wharf is still retained as a working wharf with special status from the Mayor of London and the Port of London Authority (PLA) as a safeguarded wharf . It is run by Cory Riverside Energy who also managed the Reuse and Recycling Centre which is next to the wharf and for the transportation of waste by barge along the River Thames. Poplar Borough Council had been authorised in 1893 to supply electricity to
504-468: A pattern followed in naming other locations on the nearby Aberfeldy and Teviot estates. Owen Hatherley describes the surrounding Brownfield Estate as "all designed with an attention to detail and quality of materials unusual for the 60s or any other decade". Balfron Tower was designed by architect Ernő Goldfinger and is associated with the Brutalist style of 1960s architecture. Goldfinger himself
560-674: A series of mergers, Poplar became part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 1965. Poplar was formerly part of the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney , and was first recorded in either 1327 or 1350. It took its name from the Black Poplar trees which once flourished in the area. Black Poplar is a very rare and exceptionally large tree that grows well in the wet conditions which the Thames and Lea historically brought to much of
616-622: Is Canary Wharf , which is served by Elizabeth line and Jubilee line trains. The nearest National Rail station is at Limehouse , which is served by c2c trains between London Fenchurch Street (in the city) and destinations in South Essex, including Southend Central . Poplar is served by London Buses routes 15 , 115, 309, D6 and night bus routes N15 and N551. Poplar is well connected to destinations in East London and East Anglia by road: Poplar High Street runs through
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#1732779824920672-560: Is a mixed secondary school and sixth form , located northeast of Chrisp Street Market . The George Green's School was founded in 1828 by George Green , a shipbuilder and shipwright. It was originally located on East India Dock Road . Today it is a voluntary controlled school supported by the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights located on the Isle of Dogs peninsula. Poplar is connected to other areas of East London by
728-424: Is an adjacent, unique, modernist building, also designed by Ernő Goldfinger and Grade II listed. The two buildings appear to be natural extensions of each other, linked by style and design, with the long, low form of Carradale House complementing the height of Balfron Tower. All flats have dual window aspect and large south facing balconies, allowing plenty of natural light, and decorated with natural wood panels on
784-565: Is identified as a major district centre in the London Plan , with its district centre being Chrisp Street Market , a significant commercial and retail centre surrounded by extensive residential development. Originally part of the Manor and Ancient Parish of Stepney , the Hamlet of Poplar had become an autonomous area of Stepney by the 17th century, and an independent parish in 1817. The Parish and later Metropolitan Borough of Poplar. After
840-531: The British National Party became a councillor for Millwall ward, in a by election . This was the culmination of years of resentment by local residents of perceived neglect by both Liberal Democrat and Labour Party politicians. Labour regained the ward in the full council election of May 1994, and held all three seats until a further by election in September 2004. Langdon Park School
896-707: The District and Hammersmith & City lines, and in Travelcard Zones 4 and 3 respectively. Poplar, London Poplar is a district in East London , England and is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets . It is an inner-city suburb located five miles (8 km) east of Charing Cross . It lies on the western bank of the River Lea and is part of the London Docklands . Poplar
952-696: The Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Five stations serve the area, including All Saints , Langdon Park , Poplar , Blackwall and East India . DLR stations in Poplar are in London fare zone 2 , and link the area to destinations such as Bank (in the City ), Canary Wharf , City Airport , Greenwich , and Stratford . Poplar DLR station is a focal point for the DLR network, where several different routes converge. The nearest London Underground station
1008-504: The First World War , which caused significant damage and took many lives. German raids on Britain, for example, caused 1,413 deaths and 3,409 injuries. Air raids provided an unprecedented means of striking at resources vital to an enemy's war effort. Many of the novel features of the war in the air between 1914 and 1918—the lighting restrictions and blackouts, the air raid warnings and the improvised shelters—became central aspects of
1064-639: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office , and Horse Guards . Outside of the Open House festival, Open City organises other projects including year-round tours, lectures and educational events for children and young people. The Open House festival uses a key as its emblem, the blade formed in the shape of London's skyline. This article about an organisation in England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This London -related article
1120-628: The GLC , and has been a listed building since 1996 (Grade II*, originally Grade II). Balfron Tower is stylistically similar to Goldfinger's later Trellick Tower in North Kensington , within West London Balfron Tower is 84 metres (276 ft) high and contains 146 homes (136 flats and 10 maisonettes ). Lifts serve every third floor; thus, to reach a flat on the 11th, 12th, or 13th floors, residents or visitors would take
1176-478: The Lansbury Estate and the Balfron Tower . A new Church Green next to St. Mary and St. Joseph Church was created in 2012 on the site of the former Blitz -bombed Catholic church, across the road from the current church designed by Adrian Gilbert Scott . It is open to the public during the day and public sculptures include, the former Catholic Boys' School entrance statue dedicated to dockers and seafarers,
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#17327798249201232-678: The Poplar District of the Metropolis — though it remained an independent parish for some administrative purposes. The Poplar District (including Bromley and Bow) became the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar in 1900; population (1901), 168,822. In 1965 it merged with the Metropolitan Boroughs of Stepney and Bethnal Green to form the new London Borough of Tower Hamlets . In 1654, as the population of
1288-513: The thermal efficiency was only 8.39 per cent. Until 1965, Poplar had its own council which was based at Poplar Town Hall . Since 1965, the area has formed part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets , with its council based at Mulberry Place . The council moved to a new Tower Hamlets Town Hall in Whitechapel Road on 1 March 2023. The Isle of Dogs and Poplar proper in general achieved notoriety in 1993 when Derek Beackon of
1344-657: The A13 towards Canning Town, East Ham , and Barking . National Cycle Route 13 follows the route of CS3 through Poplar. This long-distance route links Tower Hill to Fakenham , Norfolk . The route does not run continuously; however, east of Poplar, the route runs non-stop as far as Purfleet , via the ExCeL and Rainham . Balfron Tower has been featured in various other music videos, films and television programmes, as have various other locations in Poplar. According to movie website IMDb , locations around Poplar have been used in
1400-617: The Baths closed again and was conversion to an industrial training centre in 1988. The Baths once again re-opened on 25 July 2016 and were removed from the Buildings at Risk register. The Museum of London Docklands in West India Quay , opened in 2003 on the site of a grade I listed early-19th century Georgian "low" sugar warehouses built in 1802 on the side of West India Docks in the Port of London . Poplar still remains
1456-586: The British public at the time. In World War II , Poplar suffered heavily in the Blitz of that war, the Metropolitan Borough losing 770 civilian dead as a result of enemy action. At the height of the bombing, ten Poplar schools were evacuated to Oxford. Architecturally, the area is a mixture of 18th- and 19th-century terraced houses and 20th-century council estates . Notable examples include
1512-663: The East End's poor as a result of the Baths and Washhouses Act 1846 . The Baths were rebuilt in 1933 to a design by Harley Heckford and the larger pool was covered over to convert the building into a theatre and designated the East India Hall. Poplar Baths reopened in 1947 after the Second World War and continued to be used as a swimming facility, attracting on average 225,700 bathers every year between 1954 and 1959,
1568-862: The Isle of Dogs in 1982. In 1998, following ballots of the residents, Tower Hamlets Council transferred parts of the Lansbury estate and six other Council housing estates within Poplar to Poplar HARCA , a new housing association set up for the purpose of regenerating the area. The following year, tenants on further estates voted to remain with the council. However, after a lengthy consultation of all Council estates in Tower Hamlets begun in 2002, most estates in Poplar did transfer to Poplar HARCA, East End Homes and other landlords between 2005 and 2007. The first airborne terror campaign in Britain took place during
1624-485: The Open House Festival, many buildings considered to be of architectural significance open their doors for free public tours. The 2019 event featured over 800 buildings, neighbourhood walks, architects' talks, cycle tours, and more. Well-known buildings not usually open to the public which were open on Open House weekend in 2005, for example, included Marlborough House , Lancaster House , Mansion House ,
1680-674: The World War II less than 30 years later. The East End of London was one of the most heavily targeted places. Poplar, in particular, was struck badly by some of the air raids during the World War I. Initially these were at night by Zeppelins which bombed the area indiscriminately, leading to the death of innocent civilians. The first daylight bombing attack on London by a fixed-wing aircraft took place on 13 June 1917. Fourteen German Gotha G.IV bombers led by Hauptmann Ernst Brandenberg flew over Essex and began dropping their bombs. It
1736-579: The border with Limehouse was a part of the old East End Chinatown , most closely associated with Limehouse. The West India Dock and other local docks had all closed by the end of 1980, so the British Government adopted policies to redevelop the docklands areas, including the creation of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) in 1981 and the granting of Urban Enterprise Zone status to
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1792-485: The borough. Electricity supplies began in October 1900 from a power station on the corner of Glaucus Street and Yeo Street. The station was later known as Poplar Watts Grove (off Devons Road). The generating capacity of the station and the electricity generated over the operational life is as follows: In 1903-04 there were estimated to be 320 arc lights, 1,649 incandescent lamps, and 130 electric motors connected to
1848-458: The buildings up to modern specifications and 21st century living standards. The refurbishment was technically challenging, due to the need to install new services without disturbing the listed exterior. The solid concrete design also suffers inherently from cold bridging , which had to be remedied by internal wall insulation. Residents were to have the option to keep their flats in the blocks, or to move into new low-rise homes nearby, in which case
1904-402: The centre of Poplar. Cycle Superhighway 3 (CS3) passes east–west through Poplar, along Poplar High Street. The route runs unbroken and signposted westbound towards Lancaster Gate ( Hyde Park ) via Shadwell , the city, Victoria Embankment , and Parliament Square . Eastbound cyclists leave Poplar on Naval Row, following signposts towards Canning Town and the A13. The route runs alongside
1960-580: The district began to grow, the East India Company ceded a piece of land upon which to build a chapel and this became the nucleus of the settlement. St Matthias Old Church is located on Poplar High Street, opposite Tower Hamlets College . There was a major ship fitting industry from at least the 15th century, and the maritime trades became more important after the East and West India Docks were opened in 1806. Thames Ironworks at Leamouth Wharf
2016-462: The following feature films: Open House Weekend Open House London , now known as Open House Festival, is an annual festival celebrating the architecture and urban landscape of London. It is staged by the charity Open City which campaigns to make London a more accessible, equitable and open city. Starting in London in 1992 the festival has spread to over 60 of cities across the world. During
2072-405: The key elements of the original scheme, undertaking repair and replacement on like-for-like basis, ensuring a lifespan of at least 30 years, taking advantage of a once in a lifetime opportunity to scaffold the entire building and upgrading as far as possible to accord with modern standards. This will ensure its future effectiveness and desirability as a place to live. Work to refurbish Balfron Tower
2128-430: The most symbolic tower blocks in London from local authority to private residences is a sign of how much the city has been set in service to the needs of capital and the rich." Shots of the building are featured in music videos for " This Is Music " by The Verve , " Morning Glory " by Oasis , "Mortalhas" by ProfJam , " Ready to Go " by Republica , and “ Money Talks ” by Rubella Ballet . Balfron Tower has appeared as
2184-443: The neighbourhood. A specimen persisted in the area until at least 1986 when the naturalist Oliver Rackham noted "Nearby, in the midst of railway dereliction, a single Black Poplar even now struggles for life". By the seventeenth century the area had become a Hamlet , a territorial sub-division of Stepney, with a degree of independence. The Hamlet of Poplar became an independent civil and ecclesiastical parish in 1817. The area
2240-579: The originals. The second phase refurbishment plans were strongly opposed by the Twentieth Century Society in 2015. In particular they claim that the 'unsympathetic' replacement of the tower's windows has compromised the distinction and importance of the tower, reducing it from a 'genuinely iconic brutalist masterpiece' to an ' ersatz hybrid'. Rowland Atkinson from the University of Sheffield said: "The decision to convert two of
2296-580: The public electricity supply in Poplar. The power station used water from the adjacent Limehouse Cut canal together with cooling towers to condense steam and for cooling. Upon nationalisation of the electricity industry in 1948 ownership of the station passed to the British Electricity Authority and later to the Central Electricity Generating Board . The CEGB closed the station in 1967 when
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2352-478: The robust nature of the detailing to this building has helped it to weather the passage of time. Over the course of three years, Carradale underwent an extensive and careful renovation under the supervision of English Heritage and the direction of PRP Architects. The two blocks were known as Rowlett Street Phases I and II during development before being named after the Scottish villages of Balfron and Carradale ,
2408-583: The same protection. In recent years Balfron Tower has been popular with visitors during the annual Open House Weekend . In December 2007, following a ballot of residents in 2006, Tower Hamlets Council transferred its ownership of Balfron Tower, Carradale House and the surrounding Brownfield Estate to Poplar HARCA , a housing association . HARCA began a full refurbishment of the buildings in 2011. The architectural firm PRP which took up this project looked to restore these Brutalist structures to their original form as required by English Heritage , and also to bring
2464-531: The sides. The block is 37 metres (121 ft) tall with 11 floors, and contains 88 flats. The building has a similar podium to Balfron Tower, albeit more extensive with a large underground car park underneath. It too has sky bridges on the same principle of access at every third floor. After designing Balfron, Goldfinger identified all the possible improvements and incorporated them first in Carradale House and afterwards to Trellick Tower. Like Balfron Tower,
2520-556: The similarly brutalist Balfron Tower , Carradale House and Glenkerry House (to the north) – designed by Ernő Goldfinger . Other notable buildings in Poplar include Poplar Baths which closed in 1989 and reopened in 2016 after the efforts of local campaigners. The importance of the maritime industries attracted many overseas migrant to the area, including the Chinese community in the Pennyfields area of Poplar. This area, on
2576-441: The site of Poplar Workhouse , where local politician Will Crooks spent some of his earliest years (a nearby council housing estate is named after him). Another is the designated Grade II* listed St Matthias Old Church , now a community centre and formerly a chapel that was built by the East India Company in 1654. The original Poplar Baths opened in 1852, costing £10,000. It was built to provide public wash facilities for
2632-935: The vacated flats would be sold to finance the works. In October 2010, the residents of both blocks were sent notice that the refurbishment would require all residents to move out, due to fire safety and other risks, with no undertaking on whether they could return. The first phase of the refurbishment took place from 2011 to 2014 with the lower block, Carradale House. Key features of the refurbishment include: replacement of existing windows with high-performance examples matching original pattern; upgrade of thermal performance using materials to provide insulation and vapour barriers; efficient gas-fired boilers for replacement communal heating system; and new wet services, incorporating water conservation measures. Internally, communal spaces and flats are sensitively refurbished in keeping and without altering Goldfinger's original layouts and heritage features. These embody key considerations related to restoring
2688-557: Was a direct hit on a primary school in Poplar. In the Upper North Street School at the time were a girls' class on the top floor, a boys' class on the middle floor and an infant class of about 50 pupils on the ground floor. The bomb fell through the roof into the girls' class; it then proceeded to fall through the boys' classroom before finally exploding in the infant class. Eighteen pupils were killed, of whom sixteen were aged from 4 to 6 years old. The tragedy shocked
2744-463: Was a hot day and the sky was hazy; nevertheless, onlookers in London's East End were able to see 'a dozen or so big aeroplanes scintillating like so many huge silver dragonflies'. These three-seater bombers were carrying shrapnel bombs which were dropped just before noon. Numerous bombs fell in rapid succession in various districts. In the East End alone 104 people were killed, 154 seriously injured and 269 slightly injured. The gravest incident that day
2800-590: Was a major employer till its closure in 1912, its works team becoming known as West Ham United F.C. The docks attracted very heavy bombing to the area during the Blitz . In 1921, the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar was the location of the Poplar Rates Rebellion , led by then-Mayor George Lansbury , who was later elected as leader of the Labour Party. As part of the 1951 Festival of Britain ,
2856-600: Was given Grade II listed status in March 1996, (later changed to Grade II*) followed by Carradale House in 2000. to spare them from demolition. Carradale and Glenkerry Houses were also included in the Balfron Tower Conservation Area, designated in 1998. The listing continues to attract comment, especially in view of the failure of another nearby Brutalist estate, Robin Hood Gardens , to obtain
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#17327798249202912-564: Was part of the historic (or ancient) county of Middlesex , but military and most (or all) civil county functions were managed more locally, by the Tower Division (also known as the Tower Hamlets) . The role of the Tower Division ended when Poplar became part of the new County of London in 1889. The County of London was replaced by Greater London in 1965. In 1855, Poplar joined with neighbouring Bromley and Bow to form
2968-446: Was pleased with the design and moved into flat 130, on the 25th floor, for two months in 1968. He and his wife threw champagne parties to find out what the residents liked and disliked about his design. He applied what he learnt to his design for the similar and more famous Trellick Tower in West London. Goldfinger's studio later added Glenkerry House on the same estate, complementing Balfron Tower and Carradale in style. The building
3024-409: Was the filming location for Shopping , a 1994 film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson . It also features in Danny Boyle 's post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Days Later and the 2011 film Blitz . William Raban shot About Now MMX (2010) during his artist's residency in Balfron Tower. In July 2014 artist Catherine Yass was refused permission to drop a piano from the Tower as part of
3080-649: Was then later featured in his 2017 album Godfather . The tower is referenced in the song "Balfron" by the band John on their album God Speed in the National Limit . The estate is served by London Buses routes 108 and 309. London Buses routes 15 , 115 and D8 run nearby. The estate is adjacent to the junction of the Limehouse Cut canal and the River Lea Navigation at Bow Locks . The nearest stations are Langdon Park and All Saints for Docklands Light Railway services towards Canary Wharf and Stratford . The nearest London Underground stations are Bromley-by-Bow tube station and Bow Road tube station on
3136-436: Was undertaken through a joint partnership with Londonewcastle, a luxury residential developer. Pending the works to Balfron Tower, some flats were temporarily occupied by artists, who contributed to the community and put on displays in "heritage flat" number 123. A major photographic project was undertaken in November 2010. In September 2014, Wayne Hemingway restored Goldfinger's former flat number 130 to 1960s style as part of
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