This brick maisonette in London’s Primrose Hill has been modernised with a plywood-clad circulation tower and an elevated terrace overlooking Regent’s Park .
London-based practice Studio Gil was commissioned to remodel, renovate and extend the 1960s house in a conservation area of Primrose Hill. The brick maisonette was originally created by the late British Modernist architect John Winter, whose self-developed property is positioned close by.
To free of charge up floor space, the property’s unique staircase was eliminated and a new a single inserted within a 3-storey-substantial extension.
This stairwell runs up one side of the brick residence and is clad in panels of white painted marine-grade plywood, created to stand up to damp weather.
The interior layout was adapted, with the bedrooms, bathrooms and dining regions relocated to the lower floors, and a massive living space with an adjoining terrace positioned on the best floor to take advantage of views over Regent’s Park – one particular of London’s eight Royal Parks.
“The new extension was created as a vertical circulation tower to connect the 3 floors while also adjoining in a delicate manner to the external brickwork walls of the original developing,” said studio architect Christo Meyer.
Connected story: Plywood frames generate a pattern of triangles inside property extension by NOJI Architects
“The selection of cladding was picked to complement the existing materials of the original creating,” he continued. “It sets off the brickwork superbly.”
The panels are organized to develop a gridded pattern that is also replicated in the interior joinery.
Precise measurements had been taken so as to keep away from waste when cutting the 244 centimetre by 122 centimetre ply sheets. These exact calculations also presented the identify for the project – 2 Stage 88.
“The name of the undertaking comes from the square area created from the plywood panels – one.two x two.4 = two.88,” explained the architects.
The new steel staircase is affixed to a series of unique concrete beams exposed in the course of the renovation functions.
“For us, the authentic 1960s constructing carried a whole lot of charm,” explained the architects. “These are the authentic concrete beams, which served the dual purpose of a lintel for the existing window and to carry the load of the infill block and brickwork external walls.”
Glazing set into the sides of the tower and into a corner at ground level gives a natural light source for the stairwell.
Like the exterior, the stairwell is lined with a grid of plywood panels. This extends out into the adjoining entrance hall and living spaces, exactly where wooden storage units are integrated into the walls and balustrades.
Modest nooks set into the balustrades are used to display books and ornaments, while a greater unit built by the entrance to the ground floor kitchen is utilized to shop wine and recipe books. The bespoke joinery was constructed on internet site by craftsmen.
“The pattern of plywood panels increase out of the stairwell onto the walls of the corridor and ends up forming fixed furnishings and storage units,” stated the architects, who also included pegs for hanging coats, keys and a lead for Ewok – the clients’ dog.
“The use of plywood was a way of obtaining a material reference in the developing whether you have been on the ground floor or on the prime floor a material orientation stage if you like,” they extra.
Studio Gil was founded by architect Pedro Gil in 2008. The studio’s projects also include a Victorian residence that was renovated and extended for a retired schoolteacher.
Photography is by Simon Kennedy.
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