Florin Court

Florin Court is a block of 126 flats built between 1936 and 1938, designed by Guy Morgan and Partners. This steel-framed building with concrete floors is notable for its distinctive appearance. The base is of Portland stone, with yellow brickwork above, laid in a Flemish bond pattern; a flat roof, which incorporates a sun terrace, is hidden behind a parapet. The building is ten storeys high, with a recessed central section and projecting wings featuring curved corners, and setbacks on the ninth and tenth floors. It has an eleven-window frontage. Metal casement windows, following the curves of the building, are grouped into bands and surrounded by exposed concrete. A central entrance is flanked by curved Portland stone dwarf walls, and a canopy with a curved and indented profile and metal fascia. A flat arched entrance provides access to an underground garage in the south bay. The brickwork on the first and second floors, and the piers between windows, are rusticated by projecting alternate courses of brick. A stylised cartouche and ribbons are featured in brown brick above the central first floor windows, and a cornice runs along the eighth floor. Wrought iron railings enclose the area, and decorative gates mark the entrance to the garage. The interior is believed to retain a simplified entrance hall with original doors and signage, and staircases with decorative iron balustrades. Originally known as 'Whitehaven Mansions', the building gained prominence as the residence of Hercule Poirot in television adaptations of Agatha Christie’s novels. It represents one of three notable blocks designed by Guy Morgan, who developed a sophisticated modern architectural style after previously working for Sir Edwin Lutyens.