Will the real Goldfinger rise again? Enter the house of the architect who inspired James Bond’s rival

In a leafy corner of Hampstead, north London, sits a terrace of three houses that bring together controversy, avant-garde modernist design and a James Bond villain who took on 007 in the 1964 film Goldfinger – the third installment from the all-conquering spy film franchise. .

In the middle of the three houses is 2 Willow Road, the modernist masterpiece house of Hungarian-born, French-trained architect and leading figure of the British modernist movement, Ernő Goldfinger.

His very personal ode to European modernism heralded the birth, or at least the difficult infancy, of the British modernist movement. But the Willow Road development and the man whose singular vision created it have been a source of controversy for nearly a century.

Architect Ernő Goldfinger, who lived at 2 Willow Road with his artist wife Ursula and their three children, was not afraid to go to war to make his dream of streamlined functionality and flexible living, so coveted today, a reality. reality.

Fleming vs. Goldfinger

Its uncompromising architectural style is said to have so offended James Bond creator Ian Fleming that he named his villain Auric Goldfinger after the architect in his eponymous book published in 1959.

As with the big screen 007, Goldfinger’s plans for Willow Road have changed dramatically over time. His original design for an apartment building has been rejected, redesigned, revived, represented and, in some quarters, vilified. His final design for the terrace was reviled by locals, more at home with the tall 18th-century Georgian villas lining Willow Road than the squat, box-shaped concrete building proposed by Goldfinger.

Sara Nichols, Head of Homes and Gardens UK National TrustEurope’s largest conservation charity, which acquired 2 Willow Road for the country in 1994, tells a different story about the connection between Goldfinger and Fleming.

“As the story goes, Ian Fleming was playing golf with Ursula Goldfinger’s cousin when he mentioned Goldfinger in passing. Fleming caught the name and thought it would be good for a villain.

Upon learning of Fleming’s desire to use his name in his seventh Bond novel, Ernő’s lawyer wrote to Fleming’s publisher (Jonathan Cape) to have his name removed. Although his objection failed, Cape sent Goldfinger six copies of the book when it was published in 1959.

Nichols adds: “In the years that followed, Goldfinger was extremely irritated by telephone calls to his home from people claiming to be double agents. »

Whatever the truth of this dispute, we know that Fleming was among those who opposed the pre-war demolition of the four cottages which were razed to make way for Goldfinger’s vision.

Visiting Willow Road today, one can understand why its creation ruffled feathers. Although it has had over 80 years to fit into its surroundings, it still looks very different from the houses on the street – an island of twinned, if slightly tired, modernism in a sea of ​​Georgian grandeur.

Houses and interiors

Inside, you can see how Willow Road was ahead of its time. Entering a low, modest hallway, the very human and intimate scale of the house hits you. Simple and elegant, the design challenge of channeling light to the entrance is solved by creating a wall of glass to the side of the main door and a circular skylight at the top of the building.

The Goldfinger art object and children’s toys displayed in front of the glass add a whimsical and relevant touch. Although 2 Willow Road was a marketing showcase for him to show potential clients what real modernism looks like and how it can work in real life, it was primarily a family home – with the ephemera of life to store, display, hide and love.

A spiral staircase designed by Sir Ove Arup*, widely regarded as the thoughtful architectural engineer and greatest engineer of his time, takes visitors to the first floor’s multi-functional, open plan living, dining and entertaining space floor. A curved, tactile brass handrail guides the path to the delights ahead.

Light floods the main living space through a ribbon of glazing covering the facade of the building. Views over Hampstead Heath bring the outdoors in and connect the building to the green oasis opposite.

An extra-large windowsill is covered with dozens of objects that spark interest and inspiration. When Ernő and his family moved to Willow Road in 1939, they adhered to the purity of modernist principles, emphasizing volume and minimal ornamentation.

Over the years, Ernő’s aesthetic has evolved to become more eclectic. Willow Road now features aspects of The philosophy of the surrealist movement to collect and exhibit found objects, elevating things considered worthless to objects of curiosity and inspiration.

From living memory

Visitors see the house as it looked in 1987, when Ernő died. The surfaces are covered with artwork, sculptures and gifts from some of the century’s most iconoclastic and revered artists and thinkers.

The works of Goldfinger’s children are given equal prominence with those of prominent friends and collaborators, including Bridget Riley, Prunella Clough, Marcel Duchamp, Eduardo Paolozzi, Henry Moore, Man Ray and Max Ernst.

The main living space is a triumph of changing multifunctionality. Floating walls transform its purpose from eating, working or entertaining. This flexibility is only possible because the building’s precast concrete skeleton does the heavy lifting literally and figuratively, eliminating the need for supporting interior walls.

The Goldfingers were freed from the confines of the traditional homes of the time, they were free to configure the space to meet their changing needs.

Built-in furniture designed by Ernő emphasizes the architectural character of the interior. A desk with drawers that swing out to allow easy access to the back of the desk. A raised platform on the side provides additional storage space hidden underneath, while also serving as a stage for the models that Ursula Goldfinger painted.

On the third floor, closets are built into the walls, reducing the need for bulky cabinets and dressers that were common at the time. In the master bedroom walls, closets free up valuable floor space. Rumor has it that the width of some internal storage compartments is exactly that of Ernő’s folded shirts – not a millimeter was wasted.

A double bed sits just inches off the floor in the master bedroom – a tribute to Goldfinger’s admiration for Japanese aesthetics and approach to life. Modernist bedside lamps are located on either side of the low bed. Ernő was not a fan of the central ceiling lights, which are conspicuously absent throughout the house.

This very personal attention to detail is evident throughout Willow Road. The switches, door handles, finishes and furniture were all designed by Goldfinger – for him, beauty was in the details and 2 Willow Road was his ultimate beautiful fantasy come true – much like the classic Bond girl.

To visit 2 Willow Road, visit National Trust website for more information.