Ruskin House, Millbank Estate

Ruskin House is a block of flats built between 1897 and 1902 as part of the Millbank Estate, one of the first and most significant housing estates developed by the London County Council. The estate was designed by the Architects' Department under Owen Fleming and, in particular, R. Minton Taylor, who was likely responsible for the layout radiating from a central public garden. Constructed from red brick with stone dressings, the building has tiled roofs. The design reflects a humane, Arts and Crafts socialist approach, influenced by the work of Webb, Lethaby, and Smith and Brewer, and incorporates elements of Queen Anne and Northern European styles, all executed to a high standard.

The building is a long block with a splayed north end that follows the street line, flanking the St. Oswulf Street axis. It comprises four storeys and an attic, and is slightly asymmetrical with 22 windows across the facade. Central and terminal pavilion gabled breaks create a five-storey appearance, and a similar splayed north end features sixteen windows. Cornice-hooded recessed porches are visible on the courtyard elevation. The windows are segmental arched glazing bar sashes in exposed box frames; on the ground floor, they are tripartite or quadripartite, and grouped to reflect the interior layout. Dormers are positioned above the flat eaves between the gabled breaks. A stringcourse runs above the ground floor. Ruskin House is designed to balance with its twin, Turner House, located on the opposite side of St. Oswulf Street.