There was a housing crisis in Britain after the Second World War, London was heavily bombed, around Four Million houses were destroyed. Of the buildings left standing they were in a bad state "slums". Four or five familys lived in one house that was designed for one family.
In the 1950's tower blocks were designed to house as many people as possible in the least amount of space, building straight up. Cities in the sky, the Modernist vision of the future.
Many tower blocks were built during the 1960's, Trellick was approved in 1966 based on Goldfingers earlier and smaller Balfron tower in Poplar Tower Hamlets East London.
In 1968 the tower block Ronan Point collapsed after a gas explosion killing five people, there was a backlash against tower blocks and Trellick Tower was very nearly not built. Indeed it was rushed through as central government was introducing new regulations that would see a complete redesign of the project and if that did'nt work it would be scrapped altogether.
Corners were cut to get the project finished, Goldfinger originally wanted a concierge (doorman) as security , the GLC scrapped this meaning anyone could walk into the building. Vandals wrecked the place, tenants were mugged , junkies shot up in the lifts and maze of corridoors. A pensioner collapsed and died after climbing the stairs when the lifts were broke for the umpteenth time. On the Fifteenth floor a woman was snatched from the lifts and raped , further along a young depressed mum jumped to her death.
Within months of moving in tenants wanted out, the waiting list jumped nobody wanted to live there people were calling for it to be demolished.Kids were attacked by junkies, homeless squatters broke into flats and set fire to them. It was always in the newspapers who named it the"Tower of Terror."
In 1984 it was voted the third worst building in London by a Thames television poll , the same year a Residents Association was formed with the intention of making Trellick a better place to live.
In 1986 the council decided it would only offer housing in Trellick to people who wanted to live there, demand was high amongst those who knew of its high attention to detail and ingenius use of space
In 1987 the same year of Goldfingers death after fifteen years of hell the residents association finally got a concierge followed by CCTV video cameras and entry phones. This transformed the building , people now wanted to live there.
Trellick tower is a fantastic example of Modernism, 1960's sci-fi style. Modernism was unloved in the 70's but its revival in the 90's made it very trendy although it does depend on the area , Balfron Tower Trellicks younger sister is still unloved.
Blur namechecked Trellick on their Great Escape album , t-shirt designers use the Trellick image, directors use it for adverts , films, and pop videos.
Trellick is loved by tourists, locals and architects, its a cultural pop icon. Somedays it does'nt look real as if it has been painted against the sky
Further info:www.golborne history.org.uk
