The once ultra-modern high-rise, JG Ballard's Brutalist creation has been brought to life by British director Ben Wheatley. But what were the buildings that inspired it on page and on screen?
The Jokers
Trellick Tower, London —
Designed by Erno Goldfinger and built in Golborne Road, west London, Trellick Tower was believed to have been a direct inspiration for Ballard's high-rise. Completed in 1972, the 322 foot tall, 217 flat block also featured in Martin Amis' "London Fields" and today is a Grade II listed building.
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The Barbican Estate, London —
The Barbican Estate, London, circa 1985. Built on a site destroyed by German bombs in World War II, today it is a mixture of residential accommodation (including Lauderdale Tower, pictured), offices and a hub for the performing arts.
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Balfron Tower, London —
Taller than Trellick Tower but similar in design, Balfron Tower is 26 stories high and located in the London borough of Tower Hamlets. Also from the mind of Brutalist architect Erno Goldfinger, it was completed in 1967.
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Tour Montparnasse, Paris —
The monolithic Tour Montparnasse, an office skyscraper in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, is as imposing today as when it was completed in 1973. Six hundred and eighty nine feet tall, it was the highest building in the French capital until 2011.
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The Red Road Flats, Glasgow —
Partly razed in 2014 in a mere 15 seconds, the Red Road Flats in Glasgow were torn down as part of the opening ceremony for that year's Commonwealth Games. Opening in 1971 at a cost of £6 million and designed by Sam Bunton & Associates, it featured in the BAFTA and Cannes-winning film "Red Road" (2006).
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Birmingham Central Library, Birmingham —
Considered by Wheatley as a potential filming location, the crew were denied access to Birmingham Central Library. An imposing structure, it was once described by Prince Charles as resembling "a place where books are incinerated, not kept." Since replaced, its demolition began in December 2015. (courtesy Ted and Jen/Flickr).
Ted and Jen/Flickr
Unite d'Habitation, Berlin —
Le Corbusier, the Modernist architect behind the "Unite d'Habitation", is responsible for a variety of large-scale apartment blocks across Europe, including the 527-apartment "Typ Berlin".
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Cite Radieuse, Marseille —
Director Wheatley says that the polished interiors for his high-rise were inspired by those of Corbusier's "Cite Radieuse" in Marseille. (courtesy: Alexandre Delbos/Flickr)
