Will the real Goldfinger stand up? Enter the home of the architect who inspired rival James Bond

In a leafy corner of Hampstead, north London, is a terrace of three houses that combine controversy, pioneering modernist design and the James Bond villain who took on 007 in 1964’s Goldfinger – the third installment in the all-conquering spy film franchise. .

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

His very personal ode to European modernism heralded the birth, or at least the difficult early childhood, of the British modernist movement. But the development of Willow Road and the man whose unique 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 ensure that his dream of pure functionality and flexible living, so desired today, became a reality.

Fleming vs. Goldfinger

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

Like the big-screen 007, Goldfinger’s plans for Willow Road changed drastically over time. His original proposal for a block of flats was rejected, redrawn, revived, represented and in some quarters reviled. His final terrace design was disparaged by local residents, who were more comfortable with the tall 18th-century Georgian villas that line Willow Road than the squat, boxy concrete building designed by Goldfinger.

Sara Nichols, House and Gardens UK Manager National TrustEurope’s largest conservation charity, which acquired 2 Willow Road for the nation 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 took the name and thought it would be good for a villain.”

When Ernő’s lawyer learned of Fleming’s wish to use his name in his seventh Bond novel, he 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 phone calls to his home from people claiming to be double agents.”

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

When you visit Willow Road today, you can see why her creation ruffled feathers. Although it has had more than 80 years to settle into its surroundings, it still looks defiantly different from the houses on the street – an island of paired, if slightly tired, modernism in a sea of ​​Georgian grandeur.

Houses and interiors

Inside, you can see how ahead of its time Willow Road is. As you enter the low, unassuming hallway, you are struck by the very human and intimate scale of the house. The simple and elegant design challenge of directing light into the entrance is solved by creating a glass wall to the side of the main door and a circular skylight at the top of the building.

Goldfinger art and children’s toys displayed in front of the glass add a whimsical and eye-catching touch. While for him 2 Willow Road was a marketing showcase to show potential clients what true modernism looked like and how it could work in real life, it was primarily a family home – with life’s ephemera to be stored, displayed, hidden and loved.

A spiral staircase designed by Sir Ove Arup*, widely regarded as a thinking architect’s engineer and a leading engineer of his time, sweeps visitors up into an open multi-functional first floor living, dining and entertaining space. A rounded and tactile brass railing leads the way to the pleasures to come.

Light flows into the main living space through a band of glazing that spans the front of the building. Views across Hampstead Heath bring the exterior in and connect the building with the green oasis opposite.

The extra-wide window ledge 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 with an emphasis on volume and minimal ornamentation.

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

In living memory

Visitors see the house as it was in 1987, when Ernő died. The surfaces are covered in artwork, sculpture and donations from some of the century’s most iconoclastic and respected artists and thinkers.

Artwork from Goldfinger’s children is given equal prominence with that of famous friends and collaborators, including Bridget Riley, Prunella Clough, Marcel Duchamp, Eduardo Paolozzi, Henry Moore, Man Ray and more. Max Ernst.

The main living area is a triumph of shape-shifting multifunctionality. Floating walls change their purpose from dining to work to entertainment. This flexibility is only possible thanks to the building’s precast concrete skeleton, which literally and figuratively does the heavy lifting – eliminating the need for internal wall support.

Freed from the constraints of traditional homes of the time, the Goldfingers could configure the space to suit their changing needs.

Built-in furniture designed by Ernő emphasizes the architectural character of the interior. Office desk with swivel drawers that allow easy access to the back seat in the study. A raised platform on the side provides hidden storage at the bottom, while also acting as a stage for models that Ursula Goldfinger would paint.

On the third floor, there are built-in wardrobes in the walls, reducing the need for the bulky wardrobes and chests of drawers that were common at the time. Free up valuable floor space inside master bedroom closet walls. Some of the interior storage compartments are said to be exactly the width of Ernő’s folded shirts – not a millimeter was wasted.

A couple of inches from the floor in the master bedroom sits a double bed – a tribute to Goldfinger’s admiration for the Japanese aesthetic and approach to life. Modernist night lights are placed on either side of the low bed. Ernő was not a fan of central ceiling lights, which are conspicuous by their absence throughout the house.

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

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