Hallfield Estate

The Hallfield Estate, owned by Westminster City Council, is one of several modernist housing projects in Bayswater, London designed in the immediate postwar period by the Tecton architecture practice, led by Berthold Lubetkin.

John Penrose, the Minister responsible for the 2011 listing, commented: "These blocks show real flair and beauty, and all the more so considering the post-war era in which they were conceived.

Hannah Parham, the English Heritage Designation Advisor, responded to the 2011 listing decision by adding: “The estate presents a convincing riposte to criticism that postwar council housing is grey, drab and utilitarian.

At Hallfield, the exteriors of each block are treated like works of abstract art – some are patterned with a chequerboard of blue and red brickwork; others have a zigzagging screen of white concrete panels.

"[1] On 30 December 2013, after reading a confidential report written by CityWest Homes chief executive officer Nick Barton,[1] Westminster City Council and contractor Essex-based Mulalley[5] reached a compromise agreement to end the contract.