Architectural & Design

Collective
Location: London, W1
Size: 4,500 sq.ft

The Mission:

To develop and creatively manage an architectural strategy to reform a family home in London’s Montagu Square, reimagining the building’s Edwardian heritage to embrace Japanese influences involving a basement excavation, internal glass courtyard and two storey rear extension.

Our Response:

We used a series of innovative material treatments to imaginatively marry a myriad of disparate influences and breathe new life into an historic building. To preserve its Edwardian heritage while opening out the dark corners and heavy corridors typical of the architectural epoch we introduced several seductively sculptural design interventions including a marble plinth stairwell with a ‘floating’ upper staircase and placing expansive sliding glass doors throughout. We also inserted key Japanese influences; the sweeping walls facing the central staircase are crafted from charred Japanese cedar, the main fireplace was restored with ornate timber carvings and a traditional teppanyaki cooking booth was installed in the primary kitchen.

 

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An open hallway and a marble entrance floor adorned with featuring modern print transcend both cultural traditions. More transformative still, at the rear of the home we embedded a glass void inside the centre of building to creating an internal glass courtyard with white, polished concrete floors which allows sunlight to flood into the lower levels of the space.