As 20th Century enthusiasts, many of us plan our holidays around great architecture of the period that we can visit while away. Some even go a step further and seek out interesting C20 properties which are available to stay in.
What better way to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of a building than to stay there, experiencing the changing light through the days and the finer design details that might get missed on a solitary visit.
From the raw Brutalist beauty of Le Corbusier’s Unité d’Habitation in Marseille which has a hotel on the fourth floor and Patrick Gwynne’s five-bedroom modernist seaside gem in Sussex to Alvar Aalto’s castle like town hall on an island in Finland and a restored studio block at the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, there are some really fabulous C20 holiday buildings available. With lockdown easing, many of us are keen to enjoy some time away from home.
So we’ve started compiling a list of great C20 holiday properties, many with recommendations from our members and tips of architecture to see in the vicinity. But this is only just a start, we’re hoping with your help our list will grow over the coming months and years and become a valued and personalised resource for our members. Please do let us know of other buildings where you can holiday, whether in the UK or abroad, hotels, private houses, charity owned or more modest Airbnbs, all with some interesting architectural heritage, of course. Just email the details to office@c20society.org.uk and if possible include a photo of the property, or use the form below:
Sleeps: various
Geoffrey Bawa 1992 It’s wonderful setting means this is not a building to look at, but a building to look out of – like a monumental hide or a giant belvedere. Recommended by: Wendy Akers, C20 Society volunteer. What I loved most abou...
Sleeps: 2
1991 EllisMiller Architects Sleeps 2 This exceptional steel and glass house overlooks the fens with distant views of Ely Cathedral Elain Harwood, author and architectural historian with Historic England, writes in C20’s book, ‘100 Bu...
Sleeps: 1-2
1925–1932 Walter Gropius Double and single rooms Stay overnight at the Bauhaus, a World Cultural Heritage Site Recommended by: Matthew Woollven: “The Bauhaus in Dessau offers accommodation in the old studio block. We stayed there a fe...
Sleeps: 3
1957-1959 Denys Lasdun 2 bedrooms, sleeps 3 Modernist apartment in Grade II* listed building, just moments away from hip Shoreditch https://abnb.me/oXOnMG4Vl5 Background to the building: Designed by acclaimed architect Sir Denys Lasdu...
Sleeps: 5
1970-72 Architects: Aldington and Craig Sleeps 5 An elegant modernist homage to space and light on a hillside in the traditional North Devon hamlet of Goodleigh Architects Peter Aldington and John Craig looked to Frank Lloyd Wright and ...
Sleeps: various
Peter Zumthor 1993-1996, redeveloped 2016 by Morphosis, Kengo Kuma and Tadao Ando Built over the only thermal springs in the Graubunden Canton in Switzerland, the hotel and spa in one which combines a complete sensory experience https://7132.c...
Sleeps: various
1952 Le Corbusier The only hotel in Marseille classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site is the Corbusier hotel in the Brutalist Marseille housing unit https://www.hotellecorbusier.com/ Recommended by: Tony Chapman, former RIBA Head ...
1943 Architect unknown Luxury apartment with two double bedrooms Art deco style former WW2 bomber command tower in quiet location with stunning views There can’t be many properties in Airbnb’s portfolio that boast a history as interes...
Sleeps: 9
1970 Architect Patrick Gwynne A modernist seaside gem with real wow factor https://vista-point.co.uk Designed by Patrick Gwynne, one of the most important architects of the Modern movement in Britain, Grade II listed Vista Point enjoys st...