85-91 Genesta Road

85-91 Genesta Road comprises four terraced houses with modernist concrete architecture and spiral staircases that lead to elevated living rooms on the upper floor. The properties distribute their rooms between ground level and higher floors to maximize usable space.

These houses were completed in 1934 and represent the first modernist terrace houses built in Britain during that era. The architect Berthold Lubetkin established a new building movement in England through this project.

The houses introduced a different way of thinking about residential design with their horizontal windows and concrete details that caught people's attention. This approach to building contrasted sharply with the traditional brick terraces common in the area.

These houses remain in private use and are not open to visitors inside, but you can view the architecture from the street. Walking past them provides a clear perspective of their distinctive design and layout.

The site was once an orchard and the buildings offer glimpses of the River Thames through their broad horizontal windows. This view was an important consideration in the original design and shapes how the interior spaces feel.

Location: Royal Borough of Greenwich

GPS coordinates: 51.47870,0.07500

Latest update: December 14, 2025 15:00