Dolphin Square : The History of a Unique Building

Blending social history with pioneering architecture and business analysis, Dolphin Square provides a detailed history of the London landmark and its antecedents. Dolphin Square was and is no ordinary block of flats. Built on a massive scale to a high density in the mid-1930s, it was a pioneering example of concrete design, and when completed was the largest single residential building in Europe. The book begins with the antecedents of the seven-acre site, which was first occupied by the workshops of Thomas Cubitt, when he developed Pimlico and Belgravia. Conceived as a speculative housing project and later catering for MPs, peers and entertainers required to work in London, this book tells the story of the Dolphin Square project and also captures what it has been like to live in the square for figures including Ellen Wilkinson, Alistair Darling, William Hague, Mo Mowlam, Sir David Steel, Christine Keeler, Sid James, Barbara Windsor and Princess Anne.The book charts the square's changing ownership and eventual creation of the Dolphin Square Trust, which managed the flats on a non-profit-making basis for 40 years. Dolphin Square breaks new ground in providing a detailed examination of a major example of urban property speculation and management.