Lillington Gardens, Brutalist housing estate in Pimlico, Westminster, United Kingdom.
Lillington Gardens is a housing estate of 14 residential blocks at different heights combining rust-red brick facades with concrete structures arranged around central courtyards. The buildings create pedestrian routes and planted roof surfaces that link different levels of the development.
Built between 1961 and 1971 by architects Roger Westman and John Darbourne, the estate rose on the site of Victorian streets destroyed during World War II. Its construction marked a turning point in housing design that offered an alternative to tower blocks.
The estate represents an important experiment in 1960s residential design and is recognized by residents and professionals as a pioneering model for dense urban housing. Its distinctive appearance has shaped how people think about modernist living spaces in the city.
Individual blocks are accessible from public paths, and the area is well served by public transportation and local services. Visitors can walk around the exterior spaces and pedestrian routes to understand the layout and how the blocks work together.
The estate achieves high housing density through medium-rise blocks rather than towers, making it an early attempt to create dense living spaces that feel human in scale. The planted roof streets link the Victorian surroundings with modern structures while creating surprisingly green residential areas.
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