Red(ish) St Pancras
20thsoc has as building of the month these council blocks which I've noticed when in offensive gastropubs after British Library visits: a curious combination of Letchworth roughcast rusticism and the monumental proletarian modernish gemeindebauten of interwar Red Vienna.
posted by owen hatherley at 5:52 pm
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"a curious combination of Letchworth roughcast rusticism and the monumental proletarian modernish gemeindebauten of interwar Red Vienna"
I wish I had said that.
Roll over Nik Pevsner, and tell Ernst Gombrich the news.
This image is taken on the corner of Phoenix Rd and Chalton St.
Chalton St was the site of the market Dickens uses in "A Christmas Carol".
There is a semi forgotten history of Somers Town as a centre for bohemian squatting. Levita and Chamberlain House were longterm havens but got cleared out in time for the new British Library.
Mysterious fires started in 2 squatted properties at opposite ends of Camden simultaneously.An old pub at Chalk Farm and Chamberlain House roofspaces went up in perfect synchrony.
The rest of Levita House was cleared out by riot police a few eeeks later. Camdens Phil Turner denied seeing any riot police in the area. Very Nelsonian...
Earlier residents included Godwin and Mary Wolstonecraft , at the Polygon Building. (nNow remembered solely throught the naming of Polygon Road)
Linkage between various branches of the Oxbridge School of social improvement in the area are exemplified by the St Pancras Housing Association, which under the leadership of the fondly-regarded Reverend Basil Jellicoe built some improved tenements. The Working Mens College just up the road on Crowndale Rd was another aspect of the urge to improvement. Charles Kingsley taught English literature and boxing.
I must be getting one of my dodes of London Nostalgia...
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