Allbrook House and Roehampton Library

Constructed in 1959-61, Allbrook House benefited from a slightly more generous budget than Howell’s blocks, permitting a reprise of the cantilevered end bay of Bentham Road and pierced pre-cast balustrades, both directly inspired by Corbusier’s Marseilles Unité, a pilgrimage site for the LCC Corbusians. Another innovation was the brise soleil introduced on the balcony side, while the lift and stair core was expressed as a recessed bay finished in board-marked concrete. The structural design follows Howell’s blocks, with partitions carrying service ducts alternating with structural cross-walls; a distinction not expressed in the elevations. (Written by by Geraint Franklin)