The Isokon Building sailed into interwar London on a wave of celebrity and glamour. Developed by Jack and Molly Pritchard of the Isokon company, it was designed by Wells Coates to be a contemporary statement of communal living. Completed in 1934, it was the nexus of interwar Modernism, attracting not just the young professionals it was aimed at, but artists and writers as well as many of the designers who collaborated with Isokon itself.

Wells Coates was immersed in the intellectual world of Modernism, attending the seminal 1933 Congrès International d’Architecture Moderne conference and establishing the Modern Architecture Research Group. He wholly embraced contemporary materials and production methods, advocating modular construction, compact living spaces and minimal, albeit fluent and elegant design.

Photography: French + Tye

Our From the Archive series takes excerpts and images from ‘The Modern House’ by Jonathan Bell, Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill – a publication written and produced to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Produced in 2015, this book offers our own distinctive snapshot of what it means to live in a modern way in Britain.