The contemporary renovation of a modernist home on Sir Frederick Gibberd’s The Beckers estate in Stoke Newington, north London
The Beckers estate, which lies on Rectory Road near the tree-lined plains of Hackney Downs, was built between 1956 and 1958. Along with three neat blocks of houses, where you’ll find this home, the estate has two 11-storey towers and a four-storey block. It’s telling of its time: architect Sir Frederick Gibberd designed the estate in line with the 1956 Housing Subsidies Act, in which councils were paid premium prices to build high-rise housing. The result? A spike in towering dwellings during the post-war period.
It was the height of British modernism, and Gibberd was a pioneer. He was highly revered for his contributions to post-war town planning, social housing and apartment blocks, including predecessors of The Beckers such as the Grade II*-listed Pullman Court in Streatham, south-west London, Park Court in Sydenham, south-east London and the Somerford Estate in Hackney, east London. So much so, Gibberd was often thought of as the ‘flat’ architect. But as this red-bricked, two-bedroom terrace house proves, he’s not to be put in a box.
Although this home has a history, it’s certainly not stuck in the past. Its current owners collaborated with Mama Architecten, a Dutch practise based in Amsterdam, to bring it right up to date using carefully selected materials that include glossed concrete and terrazzo handmade in Holland. The renovation included reconfiguring and extending the interiors, creating a voluminous living space. A highlight is the wall of Crittall-style windows in the kitchen and dining area, so there’s an abundance of natural light, but also views out to the garden – more on that later – where the owners have placed Noguchi steel furniture. An excellent choice, if we do say so.
The minimal design works as a blank canvas for future residents – although we’re taken by how the home is decorated today. Modernist future fills the modernist home: a pairing we most certainly approve of. Mid-century chairs and leafy plants are positioned artfully in the living space and upstairs in the library, where original wooden beams adds even more character.
Back to the garden. Having private outdoor space in the capital is like having one’s
own oasis, and, in a hectic city, it does wonders for the mind. This paved garden is framed by a spectrum of colourful plants and pretty flowers including mahonia, fuchsia, ferns, star jasmine and hydrangea. It’s delightful, yes, but the best bit might just be the allotment to which the garden has direct access – a chance to grow your own vegetables or hone your gardening skills. It’s the cherry on top of an exceptional example of British modernism.
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