2 Willow Road

2 Willow Road is a Modernist terraced house in Hampstead, London. It stands among three homes designed by architect Ernő Goldfinger and completed in 1939. The building is made of concrete and red brick, with a concrete frame partly visible on the outside. Goldfinger lived there with his family until his death in 1987. The house was later acquired by the National Trust in 1995. Its design reflects Goldfinger’s Modernist principles, including a spacious interior and a spiral staircase at its centre. The house is notable for its architectural significance and its role in British Modernism. It was one of the first Modernist buildings taken on by the National Trust, which sparked some debate. The design process involved revisions after an initial plan for studio flats was rejected. The construction required demolishing several cottages, which drew opposition from local figures like novelist Ian Fleming. Fleming later named his villain Auric Goldfinger in response. The spiral staircase was engineered by Ove Arup, adding to the house’s distinctive features. Inside, the house retains much of Goldfinger’s original furniture and art collection. Works by Bridget Riley, Marcel Duchamp, Henry Moore and others are displayed throughout. The interior is open and uncluttered, influenced by Adolf Loos’s Raumplan ideas. The other two houses in the terrace remain private residences. The building has also appeared in cultural references, including a BBC series about National Trust artworks.