Hill House was designed by Denys Lasdun for Timothy Sainsbury as a country house and the home of much of his distinguished collection of art. The house stands atop a gentle hill in Arcadian countryside, and Lasdun and his client spent time considering and discussing the siting of the house to maximise the pleasure of the views, which are carefully framed by the house's windows.The materials of the house are dominated by concrete: near-white 'forticrete' blockwork and board-marked in situ, which Lasdun was using at the same time on the National Theatre. This tough palette caused local rumours that a new school or military facility was being built, but in fact the generous spaces and beautiful craft quality of the construction make the interiors more reminiscent of the stone halls of ancient aristocracies than of post-war institutional architecture.Later additions track Lasdun's fascinating 1980s-90s stylistic development, with hints of Mackintosh and post-modernism. Photo 4 of 11 in 10 Wildly Innovative U.K. Homes of the 20th Century That Outshine the Rest

10 Wildly Innovative U.K. Homes of the 20th Century That Outshine the Rest

4 of 11

Hill House was designed by Denys Lasdun for Timothy Sainsbury as a country house and the home of much of his distinguished collection of art. The house stands atop a gentle hill in Arcadian countryside, and Lasdun and his client spent time considering and discussing the siting of the house to maximize the pleasure of the views, which are carefully framed by the house’s windows. The materials of the house are dominated by concrete: near-white Forticrete blockwork and board-formed concrete, which Lasdun was using at the same time on the National Theatre. This tough palette caused local rumors that a new school or military facility was being built, but in fact the generous spaces and beautiful craft quality of the construction make the interiors more reminiscent of the stone halls of ancient aristocracies than of post-war institutional architecture. Later additions track Lasdun’s fascinating ’80s and ’90s stylistic development, with hints of Mackintosh and post-modernism.