South London Modern: Mid-Century Housing and Iconic Architects

Key Points

• South London’s postwar architecture includes substantial middle-class modernist housing, distinct from vast state-funded social projects.​
• The South East London boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, and Lambeth, especially Dulwich and Blackheath, are renowned for mid-century modern homes.​
• Span, a prominent architectural partnership, shaped much of this housing with its characteristic flat roofs, large windows, open plans, and communal landscaped spaces.​
• Dulwich Estate’s 31 housing projects between 1957 and 1978, developed mainly by Wates and Austin Vernon & Partners, represent superior suburban modernist housing.​
• Architects often lived in the homes they designed in South London rather than only designing for others, exemplified by figures such as Peter Moro and notable clients including James Callaghan.​
• The modernist architecture here is notably different from North West London’s more urban, abstract high modernism, featuring instead brickwork, weatherboarding, iconography of gardens, and curved walls.​
• Council estates such as Vanbrugh Park by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon and Brooklands Park by Rosemary Stjernstedt also mark the area’s modernist social housing, though they face challenges from funding and maintenance issues.​
• There has been a historical tension between modernist housing development and conservation efforts in Blackheath and Dulwich, with conservation areas established in the late 1960s.​
• The term “Mid-Century Modern” is an American import popularised in the 1980s and encompasses a dealer’s, estate agent’s, and ultimately nostalgic rebranding of what was once seen as more austere modernist design.​
• Recent estate agents often reclassify ex-council properties as stylish mid-century modernist housing, reflecting a social shift and class erasure in South London.​
• The architectural culture of councils has diminished since the 1980s, although the housing remains valued for its design qualities.​

What is “South London Modern” architecture?

South London Modern refers to the mid-20th-century architectural movement in South-East London, characterized particularly by middle-class modernist housing developments as opposed to large-scale social housing projects. This style manifests in boroughs such as Greenwich, Lewisham, Southwark, and Lambeth, and is especially evident in the inner suburbs and ‘villages’ like Dulwich and Blackheath. Architect Owen Hatherley describes this period as one when substantial private modernist homes were built on a scale that combined modern design principles with suburban residential ideals, featuring elements like weatherboarding, tile-hanging, and exposed brickwork rather than the stark concrete and steel typical of northern suburban modernism.​

How does South London Modern differ from other London modernism?

Owen Hatherley, writing in the London Review of Books, highlights that South London’s modernism contrasts with the white-walled, concrete heavy, and abstract urban style of North-West London boroughs like Camden, which were influenced heavily by émigré architects from Germany and Central Europe. South London’s modernism is characterized by softer materials, integration with green landscapes, and a suburban aesthetic, creating a more approachable and less austere architectural environment. These homes often show curves, woodwork, and tiled facades, reflecting a temperate engagement with the Georgian heritage and the natural environment, rather than the angular modernism of the North West.​

Who were the key architects and clients involved?

Span was identified as a seminal architectural partnership responsible for much of the suburban modern housing in South London. The partnership included Eric Lyons (who worked briefly with Walter Gropius), Geoffrey Townsend, and landscape architects Ivor Cunningham and Michael Brown, with developer Leslie Bilsby commissioning notable homes such as 10 Blackheath Park. Other prominent architects included Peter Moro, Brian Meeking, David Branch, and Royston Summers. Clients came from progressive middle-class backgrounds including the future Prime Minister James Callaghan and cultural figures like playwright Michael Frayn and TV presenter Janet Street-Porter.​

What role did the Dulwich Estate and developers like Wates play?

The Dulwich Estate, in response to council plans for compulsory land purchase for social housing, engaged developers like Wates and the architects Austin Vernon & Partners to create a large modernist housing portfolio. Between 1957 and 1978, about 2,000 properties on 31 estates were built, noted for superior suburban qualities and a Californian openness favouring low density and car usage. Wates developments included notable features such as mosaics, public art, and carefully planned landscape designs distinct from the denser, more urban Span estates of Blackheath.​

What is the significance of council housing in South London’s modernist architecture?

Council estates like Vanbrugh Park in Blackheath, designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon (famous for the Barbican), and Brooklands Park Estate by Rosemary Stjernstedt are key examples of modernist social housing in the area. These estates differ in style from the private developments but share attention to space, natural light, and landscaping. Despite design strengths, they face challenges from council budget constraints, Right to Buy policies, and varying upkeep by residents that have sometimes compromised the integrity of original designs. Nonetheless, active resident associations have helped maintain greenery and community spaces.​

How has conservation influenced modernist housing development in South London?

Blackheath Village and Dulwich Village became some of the earliest conservation areas, established in 1968 to protect their historic and architectural character. These conservation efforts often clashed with modernist development plans, such as proposed road projects that were eventually dropped due to local opposition. Span and Wates modernist housing faced scrutiny and planning battles with preservation societies, many of which preferred neo-Georgian styles, but Span ultimately secured recognition, with many estates now listed buildings.​

What does the term “Mid-Century Modern” mean in this context?

The term ‘Mid-Century Modern’ is a later rebranding, popularized in the US in the 1980s as a nostalgic label for 1950s modern furniture and architecture. In South London, this term is applied by dealers and estate agents to describe and market a middle-class modernism divorced from the social project origins of many modernist buildings. It represents a repositioning of this architectural style as accessible, stylish, and collectible, aligning well with the furniture and interiors associated with the period.​

How have social dynamics around South London modernist housing changed?

According to the reporting by Owen Hatherley, social change is evident as many professionals such as architects, writers, and designers now live in what were formerly council flats, echoing a blurring of class-based housing distinctions. Estate agents rebrand these ex-local authority homes as desirable mid-century modernist properties, reflecting a changing perception and demographic occupancy in South East London. However, challenges remain due to the low provision of new council housing and lengthy waiting lists for affordable homes.