Peter Tábori and the Polygon Road development

• I WAS very moved to learn, through the CNJ, of the death of the distinguished architect Peter Tábori, (Peter Tábori, homes architect changed people’s lives, March 30).

I didn’t know him personally and I only heard him speak once, years ago at an event to discuss the architecture of council housing in Camden. He spoke modestly and with difficulty because even then it was obvious that he was not well.

Later I found out a lot more about him from his friend and fellow architect Stephen Kapos, with whom he used to play chess.

I began trying to find out about Tábori because I used to walk between Euston station and St Pancras, passing the beautiful Polygon Estate, a thoughtful and eventful solution to the complex design challenge of creating a green London square enclosed on two sides by stepped terraces of housing, with garages underneath. How intelligently he did this. How pleasant it made my early morning trudges.

He was also the architect of the magnificent Highgate New Town (now known as the Whittington), a masterpiece of modern social housing that merits the highest degree of heritage protection.

Tábori came from a generation of highly talented architects who were employed by Camden back in the heroic days when local authorities had the power and the money to invest in social housing designed to the highest standards.

Those days will be coming back, in a different form, as even the most recalcitrant right-wing politicians try to ignore a housing crisis that is now quickly becoming a national emergency.

Peter Tábori and his former colleagues in Camden architects department have left us a valuable legacy of examples. We will need to revisit them, learn from them, and update their ideas for the 21st century. I salute the passing of a great architect who worked for the people, not the rich.

TOM MUIRHEAD
Architect (retired)