Eros House, Brutalist office building in Catford, London Borough of Lewisham, United Kingdom
Eros House is a brutalist office building in Catford, London Borough of Lewisham. The raw concrete facade shows angular forms and a separate stair tower that gives the whole structure a sculptural quality.
Rodney Gordon and Owen Luder designed this building between 1960 and 1963 on the site of the former Eros Theatre. The complex arose during a phase when many British cities were reshaping their centers and replacing cinema buildings with housing blocks.
Residents live in a structure named after a vanished cinema, and its freestanding stair tower has become a landmark in the neighborhood. The design reflects the idea that housing should be built quickly and affordably as the city needed new quarters after the war.
This building sits in an inner city neighborhood shaped by pedestrians and public transport. Visitors who wish to view the structure should note that it is a residential property, and only the exterior view is freely accessible.
The 60 housing units now serve multiple London boroughs as emergency accommodation, so Lewisham, Croydon, and Wandsworth temporarily house their citizens here. This use shows how postwar buildings now take on roles that were not foreseeable when they were planned.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
