Ladbroke Grove I
Notting Hill, London W11

SOLD

Architect: Edwin Maxwell Fry

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A rare opportunity to purchase a wonderfully bright two-bedroom apartment on the second floor of this landmark 1930s block. Number 65 Ladbroke Grove was designed by the great British Modernist architect Maxwell Fry, and is one of the finest surviving examples of its type. It stands in the heart of Notting Hill.

The flat boasts a generous reception room with a westerly aspect and access to a balcony with fine views over communal gardens. There are also two double bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen with some if its original units still intact. There are two residents’ parking bays outside the building for use on a first come first served basis.

Built on the highest point of Ladbroke Grove, number 65 occupies one of the most enviable sites in London. It is situated in the heart of Notting Hill, within easy reach of the shops, restaurants and markets of Portobello Road, Holland Park Avenue and Westbourne Grove. The Underground stations of Holland Park (Central Line), Notting Hill Gate (Central, Circle and District Lines) and Ladbroke Grove (Hammersmith & City Line) are all close at hand. There is also good road access to the M4, A4 and A40.

The apartment has a service charge in excess of £6,000 per annum, which incorporates a reserve fund and includes constant hot water, heating and a caretaker. Ground Rent is £5 per annum. The lease has approximately 61 years remaining (99 years from 31 October 1969).

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.


History

Examining the trade journals published soon after the completion of 65 Ladbroke Grove, it is clear that most viewed the building as a thoroughly progressive and welcome addition to the London skyline. A 1938 article in Building, for instance, gave the following glowing assessment: “Its light construction and elegant detail [provide] a diametric contrast to more heavily designed neighbours. In effect, however, and owing to the excellent proportions of the newcomer, this contrast is not so much startling as extremely refreshing.”

The Architects’ Journal from 29 December 1938 records the use of external materials: “Flint bricks, steel casement windows, tubular steel and wire mesh handrails. Wall adjoining gallery is of pale blue tiles and roof balustrade is of wired glass.”

A recent book describes the combination of materials at 65 Ladbroke Grove as “very well handled”. Furthermore, it portrays the building as a perfectly executed example of the Corbusian ideal: “The flats follow the same programme as Lawn Road [Wells Coates’s Isokon apartments] but with more architectural ability: the well-serviced anonymity of Le Corbusier’s machine à habiter.”

Maxwell Fry was one of the few prominent Modernist architects working in Britain during the 1930s who was actually British – most had emigrated from Continental Europe, where the Modern Movement originated. Among his most famous projects are Impington Village College in Cambridgeshire, designed with Walter Gropius, Miramonte in Kingston-upon-Thames, and the Sun House in Hampstead. He also collaborated with Le Corbusier in Chandigarh.

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