My old friend Joe just had his 30th and to celebrate he threw a little house party. But this was no ordinary house party because Joe just happens to live in the grade 1 listed, Modernist experiment in communal living that is The Isokon Building in Lawn Road, Hampstead.
Opened by the company Isokon in 1934 it quickly became a hub for London's fashionable elite, its early residents included 'queen of crime' Agatha Christie and one of the founders of the Bauhaus school Walter Gropius. It fell into disrepair in the 90's and after its refurbishment lots of lucky key workers were given the chance to carry on the modernist dream of communal living.
Agatha Christie once described it as 'a giant liner which ought to have had a couple of funnels' which i think is very apt especially as night sets in.
The Isokon company also specialised in iconic plywood furniture which you can still buy today from Isokon Plus. I love this old logo.
A special mention i think has to go to Joe' herculean efforts on the BBQ (mouthwatering meat supplied by Barretts of Belsize), below is only a small potion of what was consumed. Thank you Joey for a fun AND educational night! x x x
I want to live there!..any pics of the inside??
ReplyDeletebarbecue and isokon lovely stuff, doing my dissertation on this building at the moment. sad to hear Wells Coates didnt get the recognition he deserved at the time..
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