| 2 Willow Road | |
|---|---|
 1–3 Willow Road | |
  Location within London Borough of Camden | |
| General information | |
| Type | Terraced house |
| Architectural style | Modernist |
| Location | Hampstead London,NW3 England |
| Coordinates | 51°33′25.92″N0°10′9.01″W / 51.5572000°N 0.1691694°W /51.5572000; -0.1691694 |
| Completed | 1939; 87 years ago (1939) |
| Owner | National Trust |
| Design and construction | |
| Architects | Ernő Goldfinger |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Official name | 1, 2 and 3, Willow Road |
| Designated | 14 May 1974 |
| Reference no. | 1379196 |
| Website | |
| www | |
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2 Willow Road is part of aterrace of three houses inHampstead, London designed by architectErnő Goldfinger and completed in 1939. It has been managed by theNational Trust since 1995 and is open to the public. It was one of the firstModernist buildings acquired by the Trust, giving rise to some controversy. Goldfinger lived there with his wife Ursula and their children until his death in 1987.
Initially, Goldfinger planned to build a block of studio flats, believing that flat living was a more socially conscious choice for modern architects.[1] This idea was rejected by theLondon County Council in 1936. He then revised his designs to include a block of three houses, retaining the concrete frame integral to Goldfinger's Modernist philosophy. He submitted these revised plans at the end of 1937.[1] The construction of 2 Willow Road, was completed in the summer of 1939 constructed from concrete and a facing of red brick.[1]
A number ofcottages were demolished to allow for the construction, which was strongly opposed by a number of local residents including novelistIan Fleming and the futureConservative Home SecretaryHenry Brooke. This incident led Fleming to name his villainAuric Goldfinger by way of revenge.[2] No. 2, which Goldfinger designed specifically as his own family home, is the largest of the three houses and features aspiral staircase designed by engineerOve Arup at its core. The building is supported by a concrete frame, part of which is external, leaving room for a spacious uncluttered interior, perhaps inspired by theRaumplan ideas of modernist architectAdolf Loos.[3]
Goldfinger himself designed much of the furniture in No. 2, and the house also contains a significant collection of 20th-century art byBridget Riley,Prunella Clough,Marcel Duchamp,Eduardo Paolozzi,Henry Moore andMax Ernst.
Nos. 1 and 3 remain private homes.
Restoration of an artwork from the house featured in Series 3, Episode 5 of the BBC TV series,Hidden Treasures of the National Trust.[4]
Media related to2 Willow Road at Wikimedia Commons