In 1933 Pilley introduced Berthold Lubetkin as architect for the project that became 85-91 Genesta Road, Greenwich, a speculative development of four flat roofed modernist houses now regarded as one of the most important Modern Movement projects in Britain and listed Grade II* in recognition of their architectural significance. The Genesta Road terrace was completed in 1934.

In 1935 he designed Highfield Court, a medium-size block of modernist flats in Golders Green. The interiors featured Alvar Aalto-designed furniture by Finmar and each had a ‘lounge hall’ allowing for circulation and a small grouping of furniture – a concept included in the later design of Voltaire.

Two years later he was included in the exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York ‘Modern Architecture in England’ alongside such great names as Marcel Breuer, Wells Coates and Walter Gropius, founder of the Bauhaus School and design movement in Germany.

His work was featured in the first exhibition of the Groupe Espace of Great Britain at the Festival Hall in London in 1955, alongside that of Walter Gropius. Groupe Espace was an ‘international association of modern architects and non-figurative artists’ founded in Paris in October 1951. By this time he was also a Member of the Society of Industrial Artists (MSIA). The Society took a leading role in the redesign of Britain after the Second World War.

The range of projects he subsequently undertook are testament to his versatility, from the refurbishment of a Chelsea bachelor flat to the redevelopment of the Jewish Chronicle headquarters in the City, from a new greengrocer’s shop in Bayswater to the Park Lane Europa Hotel.

Always alert to cultural and artistic trends, interior design was central to Pilley’s work. We know he collaborated with Finnish furniture designer Alvar Aalto but he also designed furniture himself and was an accomplished inventor, often anticipating the space-saving innovations popular much later in the century.

In July 1974 the architect and architectural historian John Allan interviewed Pilley for his book Bertold Lubetkin: Architecture and the Tradition of Progress (RIBA Publications 1992, 2^nd edition 2012, Artifice).

Pilley served in the RAF in WW2 and married Frances Millingen (1907-1983) in 1941. Their daughter and only child, Sandra, was born in 1943 and died in 2022. For most of Pilley’s life he lived in the house where his father had his studio, 7 Hill Road, St John’s Wood, NW8.

He had an older sister, Maïa and a twin sister, Ursula, an artist. His younger brother Ari Thadée founded the Linguist’s Club in London.

Ursula’s daughter (Pilley’s niece), Ruth Doniach-Durant, has very kindly given a personal account of her uncle and the wider Pilichowski family in an informal interview.

Pilley died in 1982 aged 74 at the Jewish Home and Hospital in Tottenham. You can read the eulogy given at his funeral by his brother-in-law here.

However, there is still much to discover about Pilichowski/Pilley …

Was the name ‘Voltaire’ his choice and did it reflect his French roots? Did he have any connection with the developer of Voltaire or anyone else in the Richmond area? Did he design other buildings in the style of Voltaire, or undertake other commissions in or around West London? Did he design the interiors for Voltaire including (for example) the furniture?

If you can help us in our quest, do please get in touch by emailing archivist@voltaire.london.