Berthold Lubetkin’s London penthouse

Highpoint II wasn’t just Lubetkin’s masterpiece from the outside - his own penthouse proves he could make Modernism sing from floor to ceiling.

Health care centres, high rises and even penguin pools; Berthold Lubetkin left an enduring legacy across London. But the Modernist architect’s own Highgate apartment is where he really shone.

Lubetkin designed the Highpoint housing complex for local entrepreneur Sigmund Gestetner. The two glistening early International Style structures were built in 1935 and 1938 respectively, and named for their elevated position – the highest in the city at the time they were completed, with far-reaching views across London.

And the best view of all could be enjoyed from Highpoint II’s penthouse apartment, the Georgian-born architect’s own home, now on the market via The Modern House for £2.95m.

The two-bedroom London property has a 40-ft-long vaulted living and dining room, fitted with pine louvres and flanked by glass doors that open onto an outdoor terrace

Lubetkin designed everything inside the building, down to its washbasins and door hinges, but he went the extra distance in his own pad. Here, he and his wife Margaret created bespoke furnishings, including a rough-hewn travertine bench and carpet sections laced together with coloured cord. 

Victorian theatre prints, and a pair of armchairs the pair made from Norwegian yew and Argentine cowhide, are also still in place.

Residents of the Grade I-listed apartment block have access to the property’s feted gardens, tennis court and swimming pool.

Reference: Wood, B. (2017). Property of the week: Berthold Lubetkin’s London Penthouse - the Spaces. The Spaces. Available at: https://thespaces.com/property-week-berthold-lubetkins-london-penthouse/.