2-12 Columbia Road and Leopold Buildings (including stores and attached railings)

2-12, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NN

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1242116
Date first listed:: 11-Mar-1994
List Entry Name:: 2-12 Columbia Road and Leopold Buildings (including stores and attached railings)
Statutory Address:: 2-12, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NN

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Date:: 1999-10-12
Reference:: IOE01/01399/04
Rights:: © Ms Clare Glenister. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1242116
Date first listed:: 11-Mar-1994
Date of most recent amendment:: 05-Apr-1995
List Entry Name:: 2-12 Columbia Road and Leopold Buildings (including stores and attached railings)
Statutory Address 1:: 2-12, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NN
Statutory Address 2:: Leopold Buildings, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NP

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: 2-12, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NN
Statutory Address:: Leopold Buildings, Columbia Road, London, E2 7NP

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Tower Hamlets (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ3362582764

Details

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16 September 2024 to reformat the text to current standards. TQ 3382 788-/8/10036

COLUMBIA ROAD (south side) Nos. 2-12 and Leopold Buildings (including stores and attached railings).

(Formerly listed as COLUMBIA ROAD, Nos. 2-12 (Leopold Buildings with stores and attached railings)

II Philanthropic flatted accommodation with attached shops and lower blocks at the Hackney Road end; built by Sydney Waterlow's Improved Industrial Dwellings Company; designed by Waterlow and constructed with the help of a builder, Matthew Allen. 1872. Brick in Flemish bond with cement dressings and some concrete construction to floors. Roofs parapetted.

Four storeys and four storeys with attic, stepping down to Nos. 2-12 which were built at the same time to a slightly different design. Nos. 2-12 have tripartite windows to Nos. 2, 6, 8, 12, the rest paired windows; broken join with taller blocks; lintel bands and dressings similar to larger block; pierced parapet.

Leopold Buildings proper (consisting of flats No. 1-79) fronted by broad half-basement area, railed and spanned by stone steps at five points, at the foot of the full-height, open-well stairs. Recessed four-storey ranges, alternating with four-storey with attic ranges, creating a movemented parapet line by recessed and railed balcony ranges that are characteristic of all IIDC designs. Each balcony recess flanked by canted bays with panelled spandrels rising from basement through first floors to finish in a second-floor balcony; tripartite windows to bay ranges. All openings flat arched. Lintel band to first floor; bracketed entablature and corbel table to third floor and attic storey; pierced parapet to flat roof. Each recessed balcony range of two bays, with central brick pier having metal filigree spandrels to floor slabs. Flat-arched openings to balcony range. Rear elevation in plain, utilitarian style, dominated by rear projections originally designed to contain sculleries and WCs.

The high, sheer bulk and simple style typical of IIDC blocks is here relieved by the varying heights and the termination of the block in lower commercial ranges to Hackney Road. A lively counterpoint to the jagged silhouette of the main elevation provided by standard IIDC balcony-stair well recesses. Leopold Buildings is a distinctive architectural whole that produces a dramatic and memorable streetscape.

The IIDC, founded in 1863 from the housing experiments of Sydney Waterlow, was one of two main providers of inexpensive working-class housing in late C19 London, the other being the Peabody Trust. Leopold Buildings is representative of the IIDC formula, in which blocks were fitted into existing streetscapes; the Peabody Trust; by contrast, built courtyard estates.

Listing NGR: TQ3362582764

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 441467
Legacy System:: LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.