Isokon Gallery
A free, volunteer-run gallery in the former garage of the Grade I listed Isokon building in Hampstead, telling the story of its design, residents and furniture.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Isokon building, also known as the Lawn Road Flats, opened in 1934 as one of the first modernist blocks of flats in Britain. It was commissioned by Jack and Molly Pritchard and designed by the architect Wells Coates. The flats were deliberately compact, and the building's restaurant and bar became a meeting place for artists and thinkers. Jack Pritchard also founded the Isokon furniture company, which became known for bent plywood furniture such as Marcel Breuer's Long Chair.
The block gave a home to several people who had left continental Europe before the Second World War, among them the Bauhaus figures Walter Gropius, Marcel Breuer and Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. Agatha Christie also lived there in the 1940s, and the building later fell into serious disrepair before it was restored.
The Isokon Gallery opened in 2014 in the building's former garage. It is run by a charitable trust with volunteers and relies on donations and shop sales. The permanent exhibition combines texts, original objects and recreations of a dressing room and a kitchen, and there is a changing display each year on a related theme. Talks, events and guided group visits complement the displays.
Highlights
- Permanent exhibition on Britain's first modernist block of flats, opened in 1934
- Recreated period dressing room and kitchen
- Isokon furniture, including bent plywood designs
- Stories of residents such as Gropius, Breuer, Moholy-Nagy and Agatha Christie
- Free entry and occasional visits to an Isokon flat
Permanent exhibition
- The Isokon story – A permanent exhibition with texts, original objects and recreated interiors about the Isokon building, its residents and the Isokon furniture company.
- Founded
- 2014
- Operated by
- Isokon Gallery Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free entry with no booking needed; donations are welcome. An Isokon flat can be visited on certain Sundays from 11:00 to 13:00 (18 October and 1, 15 and 29 November 2026) for a £10 donation per visitor.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Permission to photograph covers the gallery itself; the grounds belong to the freeholder. |
| Good to know | Paid guided group visits are available outside regular hours and can be arranged through the gallery. Talks usually take place on Thursday evenings, 18:30 to 20:30. |
