Praise Architecture discussion

I’ve been an admirer of Trellick Tower for a while now, but I didn’t know much about the designer, Erno Goldfinger, as a person. Calder describes him as an intimidating man who bullied everyone in order to get perfection in his buildings. However, he was also the antithesis of the arrogant, self-glorifying stereotype of architects at the time. When Balfron Tower was built, he moved into one of the flats with his wife to get a greater understanding of what it was like to live in his design. He was open to critique from his neighbours and used this knowledge to improve the design of Trellick Tower.

I also enjoyed reading about the detailed technique used to give the walls at Trellick and Balfron Tower a bush-hammered finish. This involves smashing off the smooth grey surface to reveal the pebbles within the concrete. However, when it comes to treating right-angled corners, the bush-hammer technique is unpredictable and can be uneven. Inspired by a technique used by Auguste Perret, who Goldfinger had worked under, wooden fillets were put into the corners of the formwork at Trellick and Balfron tower. This meant the edges were recessed behind the main surface of the concrete. Once the main surface was bush-hammered, you were left with neat, wood-shuttered corners that framed the textured walls.

What are your thoughts on Trellick and Balfron Tower?

- Praise Architecture