Hallgate

A staggered block of 26 flats, built between 1958 and 1959 by Eric Lyons for Span Developments Ltd., stands on the south side of Blackheath Park in Greenwich. The building uses a crosswall brick construction with concrete facings, weatherboarding, and panel infill on its facades, topped by flat roofs. It is three stories high. The flats, which are two or three bedrooms, are arranged around five stairwells, with the stairwell serving Nos. 1-3 situated at the western end. Nos. 16-20 form a set-back range that includes a passageway supported on drum columns, leading through to "The Hall," an earlier development not included in this listing.

The north elevation displays a regular rhythm of horizontal bands of glass panes and weatherboarding, with flat panels at ground floor level. Windows are timber framed with aluminium opening lights, creating a pattern of contrasting squares and rectangles, with the longer rectangles divided by a central glazing bar. A continuous incised fascia runs above the upper storey windows. The south elevation features larger living room windows, extending to floor height with sill bars that continue the horizontal line of the other windows.

Entrance halls each have a glazed lobby with an open well staircase and timber balustrade. Larger lobbies feature horizontal panels of coloured glass at the rear, and louvres on the upper floor of the entrance elevation. The passageway to The Hall has stone flags and incorporates a sculpture by Keith Godwin, titled 'The Architect in Society.' This work was commissioned to commemorate Lyons’s planning disputes with Greenwich council and portrays, according to Lyons, the architect’s position under pressure from society and planning authorities.

During the construction, there was a disagreement with the London County Council regarding the paint colour for the development. A notable feature is the block’s relation to the earlier terraced housing at The Hall and the presence of the sculpture, adding additional interest and establishing it as a gateway. Hallgate marks a point of sophistication in Lyons’s flat design, and is considered one of his most significant works.