David Chipperfield adds vaulted arcades to revamped office complex in Paris

The Berlin studio of David Chipperfield Architects has renovated and extended a 20th-century office block in Paris to transform it into a multifunctional complex called ​​Morland Mixité Capitale.

Located beside the River Seine in the French capital's 4th arrondissement, the revamped building contains housing, a hotel, offices and various public amenities.

David Chipperfield Architects has updated an office block in Paris

The former office, named Préfecture de Paris, was designed in 1957 by architects Albert Laprade, Pierre-Victor Fournier and René Fontaine to house the city's administration services.

David Chipperfield Architects' transformation was carried out to open it up for use as a semi-public space that will help reinvigorate the neighbourhood.

The original building has been extended with two new blocks

"Architectural quality today is seen in the ways in which the building connects with its surroundings and enriches quality of life for all citizens, addressing a holistic approach to sustainability," reflected the studio's founder David Chipperfield.

"In the case of Morland Mixité Capitale, the gesture towards the public realm and the creation of a semi-public space was an important aspect, as well as the overlapping of different activities."

The new volumes are elevated on vaulted arcades

The creation of Morland Mixité Capitale was the result of Réinventer Paris, an international competition in 2014 that called for proposals to transform 23 sites in the city.

David Chipperfield Architects' entry, proposed in collaboration with French developer Emerige, was the winning proposal for this specific spot.

​​Morland Mixité Capitale is hoped to help reinvigorate the area

The revamped Préfecture de Paris building comprises a 16-storey tower bounded by two 9-storey blocks, with a concrete skeleton clad in stone.

According to the studio, it was chosen for the renovation as its original design had a closed-off appearance and its adjoining public square was disused.

An existing plaza was transformed into an inner courtyard

"As a consequence of the grand scale and the stringent, repetitive facade grid, the complex had a closed off and unapproachable appearance, which was also evident in the rather lifeless square," explained David Chipperfield Architects.

Alongside renovating the building, the studio extended it with two new glass-lined blocks that close off its H-shaped floor plan.

The arcades form a grand entrance area for the complex

The two new volumes are elevated above the ground on vaulted arcades and were sized to "mediate between the scale of the existing and neighbouring buildings".

Made from load-bearing concrete, the arcades form a new grand entrance area for the complex and help to visually soften the original office's gridded structure.

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The extension also transforms the original disused square into a lush inner courtyard.

Inside, Morland Mixité Capitale contains a mix of affordable and luxury housing, alongside a hotel, youth hostel, offices and retail venues.

There is a restaurant and bar

There is also a gallery, food market and childcare facilities, alongside a rooftop bar and restaurant.

The bar and restaurant overlook the city and feature a mirrored art installation on their ceilings designed by Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann of Studio Other Spaces "to dematerialise the space".

A rooftop terrace looks out over the city

To reduce the carbon footprint of ​​Morland Mixité Capitale, the original building fabric was preserved and reused wherever possible.

The building is also complete with a heat exchange ventilation system and a phyto-purification system that filters wastewater for irrigation in the rooftop garden.

The roof terrace features a mirrored art installation by Studio Other Spaces

David Chipperfield Architects was founded by British architect Chipperfield in 1985. It has offices in London, Berlin, Milan and Shanghai.

Other renovation projects by the studio include its refurbishment of Jenners department store in Edinburgh and the "surgical" overhaul of Mies van der Rohe's Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

The photography is by Simon Menges.

Project credits:

Architect: David Chipperfield Architects Berlin
Partners: David Chipperfield, Christoph Felger (Design lead), Harald Müller
Quantity surveyor: CB économie
Contact architect: BRS-Architectes
Executive architect: Calq Architecture
General contractor: Bouygues
Structural engineer: Somete, Bollinger & Grohmann
Services engineer: Barbanel Ingénierie
Acoustic consultant: Acoustique Vivié & Associé
Fire consultant: MDS
Facade consultant: Bollinger & Grohmann
Sustainability: Etamine Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Landscape architect: Michel Desvigne Paysagiste
Installations: Studio Other Spaces (Ólafur Elíasson und Sebastian Behmann), Encore Heureux

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Norway's remote Hotel Finse 1222 undergoes subtle update by Snøhetta

Architecture firm Snøhetta has carried out a sensitive refurbishment of this hotel in Finse, a tiny mountain village in Norway that can only be reached by railway.

Built in the shadow of Norway's Hardangerjøkulen glacier, Hotel Finse 1222 sits 1,222 metres above sea level and started life as a humble lodge for railroad workers before becoming a fully-fledged hotel in 1909.

Hotel Finse 1222 is located in a tiny Norwegian mountain village

Over the decades, the establishment attracted a steady stream of visitors but its interiors grew tired.

When Snøhetta was tasked with bringing the hotel up to date, the firm steered away from major structural changes and instead settled for making a few aesthetic tweaks.

Snøhetta introduced colour to the hotel's reception and lounge

"We wanted to ensure we preserved the historical qualities of the place by attentively adjusting and upgrading the existing building mass, only adding new elements where it was absolutely needed," said Heidi Pettersvold Nygaard, senior architect at the firm.

"Bringing back to life the long and diverse history of Finse's heydays was a delight, ensuring that also new visitors could become aware of this completely unique nature and hotel experience."

Floral-print William Morris wallpaper covers surfaces in the dining room

The firm wanted to foster a "warm and hearty" ambience in the hotel's reception and lounge area so that arriving guests feel instantly at ease.

Here, surfaces are painted tangerine orange while the soft furnishings are different hues of red.

Just beyond the lounge, Snøhetta designed a new wooden terrace to match the building's original carpentry.

The room's original ceiling was preserved

In the dining room, floral William Morris wallpaper now blankets the walls. This is a nod to some long-forgotten furnishings Snøhetta found in the hotel's attic that were upholstered in a similar fabric by the prominent British textile designer.

The room's decorative plaster ceiling was preserved and complemented with ornate brass-stemmed lamps, which the studio says are historically appropriate.

Photographs of famous guests that have passed through the hotel are mounted on the walls, including portraits of Prince Charles and Norwegian figure skater Sonia Hennie.

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A moodier atmosphere reigns in the hotel's lounge, where surfaces are rendered in a deep shade of indigo to amplify the dazzling blueish light of Finse's winter sunsets.

Guests can sit back and observe the day drawing to a close on the room's plump blue sofas or bench seats lined with furry throws.

The hotel's lounge is filled with shades of blue

The most dramatic intervention made by Snøhetta as part of the refurbishment involved elevating the hotel's roof to make way for two more guest suites beneath its peak.

Both suites come complete with expansive floor-to-ceiling windows that offer uninterrupted views of the surrounding landscape. Even the bathtubs are positioned to overlook nearby mountain Lille Finsenut.

Draped over the beds are bespoke woollen throws depicting an abstract image of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier.

Two new guest suites were created beneath the hotel's roof

Snøhetta currently has a number of projects in the works.

Earlier this month, the firm released plans to extend the Hopkins Centre for the Arts at Dartmouth. It is also erecting a library in Beijing that will feature a "forest" of pillars on its interior.

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Studio McW carves up "post-lockdown" London home extension with darkened oak joinery

Umber-coloured oak joinery divides the interior of this end-of-terrace home in London's Willesden Green, which has been extended and refurbished by local architecture firm Studio McW.

The two-storey Aperture House now features an additional pitched-roofed volume at its rear, that can be accessed via the main home or a second, less formal entrance set at the side of the property alongside a small planted courtyard.

A darkened oak cabinet sits under Aperture House's pitched roof

The residence's owners, a journalist and a psychiatrist, worked from home throughout the coronavirus lockdowns of 2020 and grew to dislike using their kitchen, which was visually cut off from the rest of the house and the outdoors.

They tasked Clerkenwell-based Studio McW with establishing a more versatile "post-lockdown" extension that can be used for cooking, dining, working and entertaining.

The cabinet transitions into low-lying cupboards in the kitchen

Studio McW's approach sought to find a middle ground between a more sequestered layout and a vast, open-plan space, which can often feel impersonal according to the firm's director Greg Walton.

"I think lockdown has certainly compounded the failures of modern open-plan living," he told Dezeen.

"Open-plan layouts offer little privacy and occupants can feel a bit lost in the room. Residential architecture needs to work harder to meet new demands."

Walls throughout the extension are finished in plaster

In the case of Aperture House, this is achieved using blocks of dark-stained oak joinery. The largest is a cabinet, which is nestled beneath the eaves of the roof and acts as a divider between the external entryway and a small dining room.

At its centre is a rectangular opening that offers a place to perch and remove shoes on one side, while in the dining area it acts as a reading nook and an additional seat when hosting larger gatherings.

"By using joinery to break up the spatial layout you have the opportunity to create, in the same room, separate spaces to eat, cook, welcome visitors and relax whilst still maintaining a form of connection," Walton said.

In front of the kitchen there is space for a lounge area

The cabinet transitions into a low-lying oak cupboard in the kitchen, which allows residents to rustle up meals while keeping the garden, guests and each other in sight.

To the side of the kitchen is a series of taller oak cabinets, interrupted by another nook where small appliances like the kettle and toaster can be tucked away to keep the counters free of clutter.

Just in front of the kitchen, Studio McW made space for a lounge area where the owners can retreat to work or relax during the day.

Another opening in the joinery provides room for small appliances

Rather than installing glass doors all the way along the home's rear facade, Studio McW opted to front the extension with a pivoting glazed panel.

"I think the ubiquitous sliding or bifold doors across the rear of a London terrace are becoming an unromantic ideal," Walton explained. "They don't offer places for respite and repose, there is no shadow or play of light."

"In this house, openings in the new extension are set back within deep, angled brick thresholds, which are designed to focus views and draw in light at specific times of the day."

The extension is fronted by a pivoting glass door

Another example of this is the off-centre skylight that punctuates the extension's roof and casts shafts of light into the plaster-washed interior.

"Just like in photography, the apertures in a property affect focus and exposure," Walton said.

"Often, the act of bringing light into a home is interpreted as putting in as many windows as possible. But in doing so you create all the characteristics of an overexposed photograph."

The door is set within an angled brick recess

A growing number of homes are starting to reflect the effects that the coronavirus pandemic has had on people's lifestyles.

Earlier this year, the co-founders of Studiotwentysix added a plywood-lined loft extension to their own family home in Brighton to make room for more work and rest areas. With a similar aim, Best Practice Architecture recently converted the shed of a Seattle property into a home office and fitness room.

_The photography is byLorenzo Zandri. _

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#all #residential #architecture #interiors #london #uk #england #extensions #residentialextensions #londonhouseextensions #refurbishments

Retention of existing buildings must be "the starting point" for major London developments

Large projects in London will have to meet embodied carbon benchmarks and prioritise retaining existing buildings over demolition under updated planning guidance published by mayor Sadiq Khan.

Released last month, the two-part London Plan Guidance package sets out how significant developments will need to report and cut down on waste and whole-life carbon to further the city's goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2030.

Refurbishing existing buildings is highlighted as the most efficient strategy to achieve both of these objectives and the one to be considered before all others.

Retrofitting is the "lowest-carbon option"

"Retention should be seen as the starting point," the guidelines read. "Retaining existing built structures for reuse and retrofit, in part or as a whole, should be prioritised before considering substantial demolition, as this is typically the lowest-carbon option."

"If substantial demolition is proposed, applicants will need to demonstrate that the benefits of demolition would clearly outweigh the benefits of retaining the existing building or parts of the structure."

One such argument is currently being fought over Marks & Spencer's flagship store on Oxford Street, which is set to be torn down and replaced with a new build designed by London firm Pilbrow & Partners.

Marks & Spencer's Oxford Street flagship is set to be demolished

After critics argued that the project would waste the embodied carbon of the existing building and generate an additional 39,500 tonnes of emissions, Khan decided to review the controversial demolition in light of his new planning guidance.

The mayor eventually said he would not stop the building from being knocked down, as a preliminary carbon report undertaken by engineering firm Arup found that over its whole lifecycle, the new build would actually have a lower carbon footprint than a refurbishment due to its superior operational performance.

However, housing secretary Michael Gove has since decided to halt the demolition until the scheme can be reviewed by government.

Whole-life carbon benchmarks for major developments

The new guidelines follow in the footsteps of Khan's 2021 London Plan, which sets out his wider planning strategy for the capital.

This mandates that all buildings and infrastructure projects over a certain size or of particular "strategic importance" to London will need to complete a whole-lifecycle carbon assessment and circular economy statement before they can receive planning approval.

While national building regulations and net-zero carbon targets have so far focused on operational emissions from heating and powering buildings, these new policies are a first step towards regulating embodied emissions from materials, construction and demolition.

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"The Mayor's London Plan introduced two ground-breaking policies that require the largest developments in London to tackle the waste and embodied carbon that results from construction," said a spokesperson for the mayor.

"These were the very first policies to be adopted of this type in any UK city and were a bold move to help reduce the impact of development in London."

The London Plan Guidance that was released to support these policies comes in two interrelated parts.

The guidance on whole-life carbon assessments sets out emissions benchmarks for every stage of a building's lifecycle alongside strategies for how these can be met, while the circular economy statement guidance is focused on helping architects achieve "net-zero waste".

The top photo is byRumman Amin.

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#all #architecture #news #london #uk #sadiqkhan #refurbishments #embodiedcarbon

Lore Group opens "grown-up" One Hundred Shoreditch hotel

Hospitality chain Lore Group has completed the One Hundred Shoreditch hotel in the building that formerly housed Ace Hotel's London outpost.

The rebranded hotel recently opened following a thorough refurbishment, which included the addition of new oriel windows on the building's facade.

New oriel windows were added to the building's exterior

The hotel was designed by Lore Group creative director Jacu Strauss, who aimed to build on the foundation of the Ace Hotel London Shoreditch.

Designed by London-based Universal Design Studio, the Ace Hotel opened in 2013, but was shuttered in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened.

Wooden totems in the lobby were crafted by Jan Hedzel Studio

"People were sentimental about what it was before and while we never wanted to drastically change that, we wanted to reflect the new, more grown-up Shoreditch," Strauss told Dezeen.

"And we hope that the energy that people loved in the former property is even more present now."

The lobby table from the Ace Hotel was kept and refinished

One Hundred Shoreditch has 258 rooms as well as three bars, a coffee shop and a restaurant named Goddard & Gibbs, which has a giant yellow rock sculpture as its centrepiece.

In the revamped lobby area, timber totem sculptures designed by Strauss and crafted by London-based Jan Hedzel Studio have been put in place, as well as a giant mirror.

A large red paper sculpture is behind the lobby bar

In the interest of reducing waste, Lore Group said it tried to keep materials from the old hotel where possible.

The wooden floor in the entrance area remains the same, while a long wooden table has been refinished to give it a lighter tone, with the corners sanded into curves.

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Cork wall panelling has been dotted throughout, while the existing cork ceiling was replaced with an acoustically insulated combination of timber strips backed by black felt to soften the disco music prescribed by Strauss.

An arrangement of giant scarlet paper flowers behind the counter distinguishes the lobby bar.

What was previously a nightclub has been replaced with a lounge-style cocktail bar

On the basement level, what was previously a nightclub has been replaced by a lounge-style cocktail bar named Seed Library.

The bar's design was informed by the films of director Stanley Kubrick with table lamps reminiscent of 1960s science fiction, juxtaposed with playful flourishes such as wooden wall panels fixed using metal racks taken from an office shelving unit.

Pink tiles and terrazzo tabletops characterise the rooftop bar

In the rooftop bar, powdery pink tiles matched with vivid pink terrazzo tabletops are intended to catch the sunlight, while green plants hang down from the ceiling in a concealed planter.

Also on the top level is a multipurpose events space where a colourful second-hand parachute has been attached to the wall.

A vintage parachute is fastened to the wall of the top floor events space

Strauss sought to add intrigue to other communal spaces with artworks, including pieces painted in-situ personally by him inside the lifts and tapestries in the corridors.

The rooms were designed to have a more laid back atmosphere with a mainly neutral palette.

"When you enter the bedrooms you need to shift your energy," explained Strauss. "The room should be a sanctuary – this is the place where you need calm."

The vivid hues of the rest of the hotel give way to a more neutral palette inside the rooms

In the bedrooms Berber carpets have been combined with a bed designed by Strauss with a shrunken base to create the illusion of floating.

Large artworks adorn the walls to provide colour, with playful slinky-like vases are filled with eucalyptus to scent the rooms.

Each oriel window has a unique furniture arrangement

Lore Group also operates Sea Containers, a hotel on London's Southbank, as well as the Pulitzer in Amsterdam and the Riggs and Lyle hotels, both in Washington DC.

Strauss led on the interiors for Sea Containers while a senior director at Tom Dixon's Design Research Studio.

The images are courtesy of Lore Group.

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Burwell Architects completes renovation of Denys Lasdun's Charles Clore House

Burwell Architects has refurbished a Brutalist icon that houses a legal research centre for the University of London, improving the existing library and workplace facilities while retaining the Grade II-listed structure's original aesthetic.

The university's Institute of Advanced Legal Studies occupies several floors of Charles Clore House, which is part of the Bedford Way complex completed by renowned British architect Denys Lasdun in 1976.

The renovation of Denys Lasdun's Charles Clore House was completed by Burwell Architects

The building, which overlooks Russell Square in the heart of Bloomsbury, is home to the IALS Library, which is considered to be one of the world's leading legal research libraries.

Burwell Architects, which has offices in London and Exeter, was commissioned to oversee a multi-phase programme of works aimed at ensuring the library is able to meet the evolving needs of the global legal research community.

The refurbishment preserved the original mid-century features

The modernisation of Charles Clore House preserves the building's form and sensitively upgrades the interior to improve its comfort, accessibility, security and environmental performance.

"The necessary improvements to the mid 20th-century building fabric and services presented the opportunity to appraise the existing internal arrangements and re-align these with the culture and needs of end users for the 21st century," said Burwell Architects director Christopher Gilbert.

The research centre is located across the second, third, fourth and fifth levels of the building

The main interventions involved reorganising the library, administration and academic research spaces to take advantage of views towards Russell Square and the surrounding neighbourhood.

The existing library entrance was moved from the fourth to the second floor and reoriented so it overlooks the square.

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The architects also upgraded the library's study facilities to include private rooms, meeting rooms and informal spaces for group study that are positioned within the circulation areas.

The previous cellular arrangement of the administrative spaces was replanned to create a more open layout that promotes interaction and collaboration.

The studio rearranged the floor plan to improve the layout

Upgrades to the building's services and infrastructure include the addition of an external lift next to the main entrance. Issues such as traffic noise and overheating in summer were also addressed to make the interior spaces more practical and comfortable.

New interventions utilise materials including anodised aluminium, painted metal, stained timber, fabrics and period colours that were carefully chosen to complement the existing features.

"We developed a materials palette that is intended to reinforce and update the original Lasdun feel," claimed Gilbert, "while elsewhere sensitive repairs were carried out to remove accumulated fittings from several decades of use and maximise the contribution of the fine concrete finishes."

The interior was sensitively updated to suit modern use

The project's planning and implementation was spread over a period of five years, with a phased delivery strategy allowing the improvements to be carried out without disrupting the building's daily operations.

Denys Lasdun was responsible for several brutalist landmarks in central London, including the Keeling House apartment building in Bethnal Green, and the Royal College of Physicians building in Regent's Park. His signature style combined cubic forms, exposed concrete, long perspectives and open, cantilevered forms.

Materials were specifically chosen to complement the Brutalist architecture

He is best known as the architect of the Royal National Theatre on the South Bank of the Thames, which architecture firm Haworth Tompkins refurbished in 2015, adding a new aluminium-clad production facility that complements the existing building.

Architect Ben Allen renovated his own two-storey apartment in Keeling House in 2020, adding mirrored furniture and artworks by Olafur Eliasson to the bright interior.

The photography is byBen Blossom.

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#all #architecture #education #london #uk #universities #brutalism #midcenturyrenovations #refurbishments

SANAA's overhaul of La Samaritaine department store opens in Paris

The historic La Samaritaine department store has reopened in Paris with a new undulating glass facade following an extensive renovation led by Pritzker Prize-winning studio SANAA.

Commissioned by the owners, French luxury goods company LVMH, the overhaul transformed the store on the banks of the River Seine following its closure in 2005 over safety concerns.

SANAA's design involved the restoration of many original art nouveau and art deco details, alongside a remodel and refurbishment of the buildings to bring them to modern-day standards.

Above: La Samaritaine has reopened in Paris. Top image: it has a new glass facade by SANAA

"I am both delighted and proud to see La Samaritaine, a true institution to which Parisians have always been deeply attached, restored to its magnificent beauty and iconic stature," said LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault.

"The long history of La Samaritaine has been shaped by bold vision, prosperity and a sense of solidarity. With this new chapter, the story will now continue long into the future."

The glass facade marks one of the entrances

La Samaritaine was established by Ernest and Marie-Louise Cognacq-Jaÿ in 1870. It comprises an ensemble of decorative buildings designed by architects Frantz Jourdain and Henri Sauvage.

Today, it is a mixed-used complex that contains 20,000 square metres of retail space over three floors, alongside a nursery, 96 social housing units and 15,000 square meters of office space.

The undulating curtain wall has been a controversial part of the project

Its revamp has been carried out by a team headed up by SANAA and including SRA Architectes, Édouard François and Jean-François Lagneau and FBAA.

It was originally expected to reopen in 2013, but construction has halted several times due to various court cases and campaigns opposing the new glass facade, which critics said resembled a shower curtain.

One of the building's original facade details have been restored

This glass facade now marks an entrance on the Rue de Rivoli and leads into the updated retail spaces, which extend across the lower levels of three of the site's four buildings.

The undulations of the facade are intended as a nod to the rhythm of the Haussmann-style windows of surrounding buildings while helping to soften the building it covers.

SANAA has also introduced glass-domed courtyards between two of the buildings to help filter light in through the depths of the complex.

One of the biggest parts of the project was the restoration of the existing art nouveau and art deco building closest to the Seine, which is registered as a historical monument.

A staircase-filled atrium has been preserved

This included restoring its cast-iron signs, ceramic decorations, decorative pillars and the original multicoloured enamel tile facades that had been hidden under a stone-coloured wash.

Inside the same building, its staircase-filled atrium that is crowned by a rectangular glass roof built in 1905 has been restored to its former glory.

The atrium's glass roof has been uncovered

The roof structure, which had been covered to reduce light levels in the building, has been recreated with electrochromic glass that becomes tinted in sunlight.

Various firms have contributed to the retail interiors, including Yabu Pushelberg, Ciguë and Malherbe Paris. François collaborated with interior architect Peter Marino on the interiors of the new hotel, which occupies the other Seine-side building.

A number of architects have collaborated on the retail interiors

The social housing and nursery, overseen by FBAA, now occupy a group of 17th-century apartment blocks that link up to the undulating glass facade on the Rue de Rivoli.

SANAA was founded by architects Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa in Tokyo, Japan, in 1995. Elsewhere, it is currently designing a cloud-like structure for Shenzhen Maritime Museum.

La Samaritaine featured in our roundup of the most interesting architecture projects slated for completion in 2021. Other recently completed projects that featured on the list included Wormhole Library by MAD, Little Island by Heatherwick Studio and the Bourse de Commerce revamp by Tadao Ando.

Project credits:

Clients: Grands Magasins de La Samaritaine, LVMH Hotel Management and DFS
Architect: SANAA (Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa)
Operations architect: SRA Architectes
Hotel decoration and design: Peter Marino and OAL, Maison Edouard François
Retail interiors: Yabu Pushelberg, Agence de création Malherbe Paris, Studio Ciguë
Historical monument architect: Jean-François Lagneau and Lagneau Architectes
Social housing and creche: François Brugel Architectes Associés
Executive project management: Egis
General contractor: Vinci Construction France
Specialist contractors: Frener & Reifer, SMB-CCS, Viry, Socra, AOF and Atelier Bouvier

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#all #architecture #publicandleisure #france #paris #sanaa #retail #renovations #refurbishments #artdeco

Herzog & de Meuron begins San Francisco power plant transformation

Swiss architecture studio Herzog & de Meuron has broken ground on its transformation and extension of a decommissioned power plant on the waterfront of San Francisco, USA.

The adaptive reuse project will convert the brick structure named Station A, which was built in the early 20th-century, into offices and workspaces.

It is being designed by Herzog & de Meuron with local office Adamson Associates Architects as part of a wider 29-acre (11.7-hectares) masterplan called Power Station, which will connect the industrial waterfront site to the Dogpatch neighbourhood.

Above: Herzog & de Meuron has broken ground on a power plant conversion. Top image: it will include a lightweight vertical extension

The masterplan is being overseen by developer Associate Capital and will include 2,600 residential units and 1.6 million square foot (148,600 square metres) of workspace.

Some of these facilities will be housed in two new mixed-use buildings that are being designed by Foster + Partners.

The steel extension will rest on the existing concrete structure

"The reinvention of Power Station will bring new life to a significant building from the city's colorful past and will anchor this area as a destination on the San Francisco waterfront," said Herzog & de Meuron's senior partner Jason Frantzen.

"We are honored to continue our work in the Bay Area and look forward to realizing this important project."

As part of the overhaul, the plant's old turbine hall will be retained and used as a large atrium-like space.

Here, the original platforms that once supported machinery will be used as walkways and lookout points.

The project forms part of a wider masterplan called Power Station

Herzog & de Meuron will also preserve and repurpose the building's large foundations as supports for a new lightweight steel-framed structure above that will contain offices.

Externally, the new structure will be glazed and finished with shading louvres and openings for natural ventilation to reduce the need for artificial cooling.

Alongside homes and offices, the wider Power Station scheme will be complete with shops, restaurants and hotels along with seven acres of parkland.

It is expected that 30 per cent of total housing will be affordable, with 36 units dedicated to a homelessness initiative.

Herzog & de Meuron was founded in Basel in 1978 by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Other adaptive reuse projects by the studio include the Tate Modern in London, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the CaixaForum Madrid.

Visuals are courtesy of Herzog & de Meuron.

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#all #architecture #news #usa #sanfrancisco #extensions #herzogdemeuron #adaptivereuse #refurbishments

Wright & Wright completes overhaul of Museum of the Home in London

Architecture studio Wright & Wright has completed a renovation and extension of the 18th-century Museum of the Home in London, UK.

The Museum of the Home, formerly known as the Geffrye Museum, is housed within Grade-1 listed almshouses built in Hackney, east London, in 1714.

They were transformed into a museum in 1914 after being bought by the city council.

Wright & Wright has renovated the Museum of the Home. Photo is by Jayne Lloyd

Wright & Wright was asked to create more public and exhibition spaces for the museum, while also reversing detrimental alterations made to it in the 20th century.

The studio achieved this by opening up the museum's lower ground level, reinstating its first floor and adding two garden pavilions.

The overhaul involved adding more entrances

"The buildings are beautiful but had been destabilised by the original alterations, when the staircases, internal partitions and first floors were taken out, with openings cut through party walls on the lower ground floor in just the wrong place," explained the studio's partner Clare Wright.

"The original alterations meant that only one of the three floors was being fully used," she told Dezeen.

The lower ground floor was opened up for exhibits

The biggest change that Wright & Wright made to the museum was the opening up of the lower ground floor, which involved excavating the site by one metre.

As well as providing public access to this space for the first time in the building's history as a museum, this also created 80 per cent more exhibition space for the museum's collections, which span 400 years.

Its first floor was reinstated

Original details throughout the lower ground were preserved wherever possible.

"We saw that if we dug down just a metre in the lower ground floor, we could provide even more gallery space than the client asked for in their brief," Wright said.

Circulation spaces were updated throughout

"We kept whatever original features we found – such as the curves of the brickwork on the lower floor, that was for lighting a fire and heating a copper pan for washing clothes," she added.

The museum's first floor was also reinstated and its roof space opened up, creating room for a new library, archive and study with views of the museum's gardens.

Original details in the lower ground were preserved. Photo is by Helene Binet

To ensure accessibility throughout the Museum of the Home, Wright & Wright made sure each space has level access and optimal lighting.

This forms part of a wider restructure of the museum's circulation, for which Wright & Wright has also introduced two lifts and more flexible entry and exit points.

New garden pavilions provide extra public space. Photo is by Helene Binet

One entrance has been introduced directly beside the adjacent Hoxton Overground Station in a bid to help increase footfall.

Other external changes to the Museum of the Home include the introduction of the two new multi-purpose learning and event pavilions on either side of the museum.

The garden pavilions are designed to be discreet. Photo is by Helene Binet

The pavilions are discreetly placed and designed to ensure they do not detract from the original buildings. One is clad in brick and the other larch, each with a grey-black colouration.

"We placed [the pavilions] carefully so they sit beyond the ends of the central range of the almshouses and are attached but visually separate," said Wright.

A green roof was added to one pavilion to help enhance biodiversity across the site.

This green roof is part of the wider landscape design for the museum, in which the existing gardens have been replanted to showcase changes and trends in urban gardening since the 17th century.

The gardens have been relandscaped too. Photo is by Helene Binet

Wright & Wright's overhaul is complete with a new cafe and large reception area that contains toilets, cloakrooms and lunchrooms for visiting school groups.

The cafe, housed in a former Victorian pub next to the site, has a light-filled dining area and terrace that overlooks the new station-side entrance.

The landscaping doubles as an exhibit of urban gardens. Photo is by Helene Binet

Wright & Wright is an architecture studio based in London that was founded by Sandy and Clare Wright in 1994. It was appointed for the Museum of the Home overhaul in 2014.

Elsewhere, the studio is currently developing the new home for the Lambeth Palace Library – one of the UK's oldest libraries that has had a publicly accessible collection since 1610.

Photography is by Hufton+Crow unless stated.

Project credits:

Architects: Wright & Wright Architects
Construction: Quinn London Ltd
Exhibition design: ZMMA
Exhibition fit-out: Elmwood Projects
Structural engineering: Alan Baxter
Environmental and services engineering: Max Fordham
Quantity surveying and project management: Gardiner & Theobald
Living rooftop design: Dusty Gedge
Brand and wayfinding: Dn&co

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Studio Ben Allen casts pigmented concrete to create colourful surfaces inside House Recast

Studio Ben Allen used brightly coloured concrete to create structural walls and decorative details throughout this refurbishment of a Victorian terraced home in north London.

The owners of the house in Haringey asked Studio Ben Allen to reorganise the living spaces at the rear of the property, which had been adapted and added to over time.

The project brief also called for the creation of a new kitchen and two bathrooms, one of which – on the ground floor – needed to be accessible.

Top: the rear of House Recast by Studio Ben Allen has patterned beams. Above: the studio used different shades of pigmented concrete

Studio Ben Allen used the House Recast project as a testbed for ideas, such as off-site fabrication and the use of pigmented patterned concrete as both structure and architectural finish.

"This approach was inspired by the surrounding Victorian architecture," claimed the architects, "where the brickwork is patterned and decorated, while also being a load-bearing material and having the speed and quality by being fabricated offsite."

"The colours and use of materials were also inspired by high-Victorian architecture in terms of richness," the studio added.

The kitchen has concrete floors

The house's unusual use of colours and materials led to the project being shortlisted for this year's Don't Move, Improve! awards, which celebrate the best home improvement projects across London.

Coloured concrete is used in various ways throughout the renovated property, including for the green patterned columns and beams that support the first floor bathroom's salmon-coloured structural wall panels.

Kitchen countertops were finished with a red hue

From the rear garden, the concrete framework forms a cross-shape that defines the spatial arrangement of the ground and first floors.

A fan-patterned relief imprinted into the concrete surfaces is mirrored in the bathroom's latticed window covering.

Inside the extended and refurbished kitchen, the green structure contrasts with the pinkish-red concrete stairs, counters, sink and island unit.

The bath, counters, washbasin and benches in the upstairs bathroom are all cast in green concrete – contributing to a space designed to have a hammam-like feel.

Red steps lead to the living space

A void created above the expanded kitchen connects this space visually with a new curved mezzanine. This double-height space allows daylight to penetrate into the centre of the house.

Light also filters down into the kitchen through a skylight positioned above a louvred vaulted ceiling. The same ceiling form is used for the upstairs bathroom.

A serving hatch links the living spaces and the kitchen

The curves of the vaulted ceilings are echoed in openings throughout the new spaces, including an archway connecting a seating area in the kitchen with the dining room at the front of the house.

In an effort to show how offsite construction can benefit smaller-scale residential projects, several elements used within House Recast were prefabricated to reduce construction time on site.

Curved openings connect the two floors

The extension's main frame and walls were erected in just three days, and the balustrade lining the mezzanine was delivered as a kit of parts.

The bespoke balustrade's design matches the pattern on the rear facade and was cut by the architect using a computer-controlled milling machine.

The bathroom has a green interior with brass finishes

Other projects featured on the shortlist for the 2021 Don't Move, Improve prize included an extension to a colour consultant's house featuring an on-trend colour palette, and a pop art-inspired extension with curved and brightly coloured surfaces.

Photography is by French + Tye.

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