Words Rebecca Cope
Photography courtesy of The Architectural Review and Historic England Archive

Exactly how Ernö Goldfinger came to design a primary school in Putney is one of life’s mysteries. Yet between 1950-1951, the Hungarian emigré who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Le Corbusier, Auguste Perret and Miles van der Rohe, did just that. For fans of his oeuvre, Brandlehow Primary School in Wandsworth is instantly recognisable as Goldfinger’s work. Not only does it feature one of his signature towers (housing the school’s water tanks), but it is made from prefabricated, pre-cast concrete with brick infill and a steel-framed window grid. The school is laid out in an L-shape, with classrooms facing southwards for the best light. These features were a vast upgrade on what existed before, ensuring light, ventilated classrooms and central heating and hot water for pupils.

Given it's lineage, the school is now Grade II-listed, retaining its original floorplan and many of its original features. Yet the inevitable wear and tear of the intervening 70 years since it was constructed have taken their toll, and the roof in particular is in dire straits. So much so that the school has recently launched a new campaign, Raise the Roof, in order to generate the £20,000 that is needed in addition to local authority funding to fix it. “Two thirds of our classrooms are housed in the damaged part of the building,” says Sophie Hart, a parent at the school. “Whenever it rains, water gets in and the roof leaks. Schools are expensive to maintain, and there have been other projects that have taken priority until now, but now it’s crucial for the roof to be fixed.”

To raise awareness of the campaign, architecture influencer Noris Obijiaku paid the school a visit. “When you look at Brandlehow School and then Trellick Tower, you can start to see Goldfinger’s fingerprints all over both,” he says. “Modernist buildings often have this focal point, like the school’s red brick tower, something that you typically associate with churches. It was a wayfinder, a landmark on the horizon that would help people navigate the city. It relates to his theories around community and social housing. I can only imagine what it looked like in its hey day, with the bricks and the glazing bright.”

For Noris, it is Goldfinger’s use of light that is particularly special. “Light travels through the rooms unobstructed by any walls,” he observes. “Goldfinger also added dome caps on one of the wings in the school to maximise the light. It’s so intentional. And the windows are the biggest single panes of glass I’ve ever seen in a primary school. It’s clear a lot of thought went into the design.”

As well as providing a safe, clean space for children to learn, the repairing of the roof will also benefit the school’s pupils in other ways, according to Noris. “Science shows that natural light improves mood and concentration. Kids may not realise they are learning better simply because the school is designed better, but it’s the case. That’s why if you’re an architect, it’s important to create interesting spaces that stimulate people – in kids it’ll spark a curiosity in them – open areas, colourful elements and unique shapes like the tower. It’s really important that building design speaks to kids, there’s an element of teaching kids through design unconsciously.”

Head to @raisetheroofbrandlehow for more information on how you can donate and get involved with the campaign.