10, Palace Gate Sw7

This is a block of flats built in 1937 by Wells Coates. It represents an innovative approach to flat design and construction. The building is of reinforced concrete, utilizing a frame and monolithic reinforcement system engineered by Samuely and Hamaan, and clad in concrete panels. The design is symmetrical, featuring a projecting, slightly concave entrance block of seven storeys, with each floor containing a two-room flat and three windows. A larger block to the rear, connected by a fully-glazed stairwell, rises eight storeys, housing flats arranged on a '3-2' - or 'scissor' - plan. This unusual plan divides living and bedroom spaces, with three bedrooms equating in height to two living rooms, and is accessed via corridors and hallways on the second and fifth floors. A penthouse occupies the flat roof. The rear elevation clearly illustrates this ‘3-2’ plan, which also sees alternating pairs of living rooms with bedrooms. The entrance canopy has been altered. All windows are metal casements. The block of flats is considered one of the most innovative built in Britain during the 1930s and showcases both technical advances in construction and the use of cladding materials, marking the culmination of Wells Coates' ideas.