Balfron Tower, Residential tower in Poplar, London, United Kingdom
Balfron Tower is a residential building in Poplar, London, standing 84 meters high over 26 floors. The main block connects to a separate service tower through walkways that carry technical facilities for the building.
Ernő Goldfinger designed the tower for the London County Council housing programme and completed it in 1967. Heritage authorities later recognized the building and placed it on the national list of protected structures.
The tower takes its name from the Scottish village of Balfron, following the pattern of nearby Aberfeldy and Teviot estate names; during development it was Rowlett Street Phase I. The service tower holds laundry rooms and rubbish chutes, reached by eight walkways, and its top carries radio and television antennas broadcasting BBC One and BBC Two.
Lifts stop at every third floor, so some residents walk stairs for the last stretch. No tours run inside because all flats remain private homes, but the architecture stands clear from street level.
In 1968 Goldfinger moved into flat 130 on the 25th floor for two months and, with his wife, held champagne parties for residents to learn what they liked and disliked about the design. He then applied those findings to Trellick Tower in North Kensington.
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