Parallel Lines

Located in a Conservation Area of Islington, this Grade-II Listed property was built in the late 1840s and comprises the top three floors of the building. This includes a neglected roof terrace, presenting incredible amenity potential, and providing fantastic southerly views toward the ever-changing skyline at Old Street and the City of London beyond.

The historical context and robust façade articulation were the starting points. Horizontal stucco banding and cornicing features form parallel lines along the dominant front elevation of the terraced houses, culminating at the second-floor parapet to the roof terrace.

A contemporary thin white ‘band’ is placed atop, floating horizontally across the roof terrace and continuing the ‘parallel’ theme set by the host building. Taking inspiration from Ludwig Mies van der Rohe’s legendary Barcelona Pavilion, we selected opulent materials such as patinated brass, used primarily in a cruciform feature column, Bianco Eclipsia Quartz and darkened oak to delineate internal space. A glazed façade of bi-fold doors and recessed glass help to further dissolve the threshold connected with the newly tiled roof terrace.

Client

Private

Completion

2021

Location

Islington, London

Images

Lorenzo Zandri