Since the early 1970’s development of their first showroom in Bath, Charles Thomson has had a close and long term working relationship with the contemporary furniture company Coexistence. He has been the architect responsible for the expansion of various sites in London, particularly at their two buildings in Islington: Upper Street/Cross Street and Canonbury Lane. The extent of works includes new offices, showrooms, roof studios, house and garden.
Photographed by Sarah Blee.
Studio 54 and the builders Fullers have worked successfully together on a number of projects. The collaboration has resulted in a mutual respect and a shared enjoyment of the craft of construction. When Fullers acquired a dilapidated corner shop with a small flat above, immediately opposite the historic home of the firm in Walthamstow Village, William Fuller asked Studio 54 to look at the opportunities for expanding and converting the building.
Walthamstow Village is a charming area of terraced houses and small businesses ranged along a network of narrow streets. 70 Beulah Rd sits within the Orford Rd Conservation Area on the south west corner of Beulah Road and Grosvenor Rise East and is at the end of a row of Victorian ‘model cottages’ built on a former church common in around 1850. The setting includes a fine street tree. The building was set back from the property boundary on Grosvenor Rise East by approximately 1.8 metres and stepped down going west.
The entrance to the upper floors is set back from the front elevation by approximately 3.5 metres. The front parapet mouldings, sash windows and panel door and windows were traditional, but in a very poor state of repair. The private space in front and to the side of the property was unfenced. The neighbouring house (no. 72) has been converted into residential use and the shop front has been replaced.
Most of the new works proposed were on the corner and at the rear and north side of the property with the front facade being refurbished. The existing internal arrangement at both ground and first floor was cramped and the first floor flat in particular was completely inadequate. The principal design objectives were to extend the building footprint north towards the street up to the site boundary and to build up towards the rear of the site. This would give the opportunity to create better relationship to the street, more usable space at the ground floor and a good sized 2 bedroom flat on the first floor.
The planning authority was nervous of anything that deviated stylistically from the established pattern of development within the Conservation Area and there were extensive discussions with Planning Officers about an appropriate design response. The shared ambition was to improve the quality of the historic building while introducing a contemporary, but contextual design for the new build elements. It was agreed that the corner building should be extended and rebuilt to match the original building and this has been done immaculately. The extension along the north and west elevations is simple and precisely designed and beautifully crafted.
Photography by Sarah Blee
The conversion of a redundant shop into a jewellery showroom in Upper Street, N1. The work included the gentle conversion of the existing premises and the design and installation of new display cabinets within a tight budget.
Turnham Green Terrace Mews is a complex of buildings, dating from the early part of the 20th Century, bounded on two sides by gardens to private houses and on the other two sides by the Mews.
The buildings in the mews were in need of refurbishment or renewal. They have been in continuous use since the early 1900’s and repair and maintenance has been haphazard. Our Client wanted to explore the possibility of modernising the mews buildings, retaining those that could be retained together with the large brick boundary walls onto the gardens. The project has involved the retention of two buildings on the West side of the site and the redevelopment of the remainder of the site, creating a new mews which runs North-South providing natural light and ventilation into the site and exposing the East facade of one of the retained buildings (an old organ works). The new development which includes a basement has been planned to provide flexible work space and has been carefully designed to avoid the overlooking of neighbours residential buildings.
The Application went through a pre application stage, followed by the Planning Application and an officer’s recommendation for Approval.
The original Planning Application was granted Approval in December 2012, and the basement received Approval in July 2014. The demolition of the redundant buildings finished in the summer of 2014, and the project started on site in the spring of 2015, completing in October 2016.
Photographed by Sarah Blee.
An exciting project to convert an industrial space into the London base for film makers HAL Miramax. Working within a tight budget we designed an open plan studio, shared meeting rooms, reception, kitchen, screening room and ancillary facilities.
The Crowndale Centre was a conversion of an old post office building commissioned by the London Borough of Camden to provide an important multi use public building. The original light well was transformed into an open atrium topped by a gently curving overhanging roof. This space unites a range of public and private functions including offices, retail, a café and workshops. A new-build primary healthcare centre is located behind the main building.
“The building scores even more brownie points by being forward looking and yet accessible to members of the public. Where else in the public sector is there a modern building that welcomes the local people in such a gracious way.” Jonathan Glancy, The Independent, March 1990.
Charles Thomson and Kate Blee acted as Design and Art Consultants to the FSA for the fitting-out of their new 400,000 sq ft headquarters building at Canary Wharf, liaising with both the client and interior designers. The project included researching, selecting and commissioning the installation of a contemporary Art Collection for the building. Artists include Fiona Banner, Tacita Dean, Fay Godwin, Perry Roberts and Jeanette Barnes.
Image 2 shows:
Colour of Money by Perry Roberts
Studio 54 and the builders Fullers have worked successfully together on a number of projects: e.g. Highbury Terrace Mews, 58A Elfort Rd. The collaboration has resulted in a mutual respect and a shared enjoyment of the craft of construction. When Fullers acquired a dilapidated corner shop with a small flat above, immediately opposite the historic home of the firm in Walthamstow Village, William Fuller asked Studio 54 to look at the opportunities for expanding and converting the building.
Walthamstow Village is a charming area of terraced houses and small businesses ranged along a network of narrow streets. 70 Beulah Rd sits within the Orford Rd Conservation Area on the south west corner of Beulah Road and Grosvenor Rise East and is at the end of a row of Victorian ‘model cottages’ built on a former church common in around 1850. The setting includes a fine street tree. The building was set back from the property boundary on Grosvenor Rise East by approximately 1.8 metres and stepped down going west.
The entrance to the upper floors is set back from the front elevation by approximately 3.5 metres. The front parapet mouldings, sash windows and panel door and windows were traditional, but in a very poor state of repair. The private space in front and to the side of the property was unfenced. The neighbouring house (no. 72) has been converted into residential use and the shop front has been replaced.
Most of the new works proposed was on the corner and at the rear and north side of the property with the front facade being refurbished. The existing internal arrangement at both ground and first floor was cramped and the first floor flat in particular was completely inadequate. The principal design objectives were to extend the building footprint north towards the street up to the site boundary and to build up towards the rear of the site. This would give the opportunity to create better relationship to the street, more usable space at the ground floor and a good sized 2 bedroom flat on the first floor.
The planning authority was nervous of anything that deviated stylistically from the established pattern of development within the Conservation Area and there were extensive discussions with Planning Officers about an appropriate design response. The shared ambition was to improve the quality of the historic building while introducing a contemporary, but contextual design for the new build elements. It was agreed that the corner building should be extended and rebuilt to match the original building and this has been done immaculately. The extension along the north and west elevations is simple and precisely designed and beautifully crafted.
Photographs by Sarah Blee
