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Face to face: London Office MATT Architecture 17 — 19 Leicester SquareLondon, UKWC2H 7LE (view on map) Verbally or electronically:+44 (0)203 490 1243+48 12 383 05 39 contact@mattarchitecture.com Socially: ︎   ︎   ︎   ︎

Number One, Wimbledon

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“The one that we’re pleased isn’t called ‘Number Two’”. Number One, Wimbledon Client — Kingston FG ltd Area — 9,750 sqm Use — Commercial  Status — Planning Approved ‘There are no new ideas in architecture.’ That was, maybe surprisingly, our starting point for this project - which develops the design approach and material palette we employed on the refurbishment of Wellington House nearby. But that’s not to say that we’ve designed it without love and care. And we’re also trebling the net area on the site. Unlike the commercial office refurbishment projects we’ve done elsewhere in Wimbledon this is a new-build – catalysing a wider masterplan - which provides a fantastic opportunity to design an all electric building - able to fully exploit the statutory decarbonisation of the UK Grid by 2030 - with long term Circular Economy principles in mind from the outset. That means providing column free, super adaptable space, everywhere. Natural light is available from at least two sides of each floor - even when subdivided. The flexibility of this approach means that the building can be easily re-purposed for other uses over time, e.g. residential or hotel, long into the future - giving it a durability way beyond the (outrageously short) 25-year design life specified for so many commercial buildings of the recent past. The elevations are predominantly brick – and we’re hoping we can persuade ourselves, our client, and the cost plan, that using re-claimed brick (in which energy (& hence carbon) is already embodied) and lime mortar (which has a lower embodied energy than cement mortar - and makes the bricks easier to recycle at the end of the building’s life) is a viable solution. Outside the building we’re doubling the width of the existing pavement and more than doubling the amount of planting on site to create a generous and verdant new entrance - bringing as much life and activity to the public realm as possible. Cycle storage, showers and an on-site gym - ‘encouraging activity and supporting well-being’ (for the marketeers amongst you) - are all easily accessible from the street via a powered ‘Cycle Escalator’.‘Cycle Escalator’? - sounds weird doesn’t it? - but it’s a real thing - Google it. This building will never get a moniker like ‘The Shard’ or ‘The Walkie Talkie’. It’s not iconic – and it’s not trying to be. It’s just a building. A good, durable, adaptable, responsible building designed to enhance the public space around it and the private lives within it. Designed not to outshine, but to outlive its flashier peers....now maybe that is a new idea? ︎  All projects Next project  ︎

Ilona Rose House, London WC2

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“The one with the 3D printed façade.” Ilona Rose House London WC2 Client — Soho EstatesArea — 31,000sqm Construction Budget — £100m (Shell and Core)Use — Mixed UseStatus — On–siteIlona Rose House is a new-build mixed-use project spread over 13 floors, including 4 below ground. The project is currently on site and includes lots of highly decorative, bespoke, pre-cast concrete façade panels (clipped on to a standard unitised curtain wall system of course!) – for which we’ve printed many of the pre-production moulds ourselves, in Leicester Square. A quarter of the 4-storey basement is naturally lit - and will be the new home for Warner Brother’s European Postproduction Studios - including a double height, tiered, 60-seat sound editing theatre. On the upper floors we’ve been able to create over 14,000sqft of south-west facing terraces, the hanging gardens of Soho if you like, which will provide external amenity space for every single level of office. More than a sixth of the (nearly) 1-acre site is given over to public spaces – which are lined with restaurants, cafes, shops and a nightclub to create a lively and generous new destination within Soho. ︎The frontage to Charing Cross Road and Crossrail. ︎The frontage to James Court and Soho. ︎The elevation to Charing Cross Road. ︎The corner where Charing Cross Road meets Manette Street. ︎Nearly a sixth of the site is new public realm. ︎The view west along Manette Street. ︎Looking north to The House of St Barnabas from James Court. ︎Looking south into James Court. ︎Looking east into James Court. ︎Naturally lit basement office space. ︎Site timelapse - up to July 2019 ︎ All projects Next project  ︎

Princess Gardens, West London

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“Turning a private car park into a public square ”. Queensway, West London Client — Bourne Capital Area — 250 sqm (pavilions), 1,000 sqm (site) Use — Public Space, Retail Status — Planning permision granted This is the sort of project that architects like doing – a couple of small buildings that appear to do little more than just look quite cool – but in reality their presence completely re-configures how the space around them is used. The site is highly visible, but in its current state instantly forgettable, serving as little more than a car park and vehicle access route to surrounding buildings’ back of house areas. This arrangement completely misses the site’s civic potential – to provide a vibrant new social focus and ‘breathing space’ to Queensway as it becomes ever busier with the huge investments being made into Whiteley’s at its north end, Park Modern at its south end, and Queensway Market between the two. The new pavilions are one of the smallest parts of a much bigger planning permission for the Queensway Estate which covers most of the buildings south of Princess Court all the way down to Hyde Park, and includes nearly 5,000sqm of new residential space, further commercial space, and works (by us) to many of the shopfronts along both sides of Queensway. The new pavilions will provide provide ‘pop-up’ space for new retail concepts, storage for café seating and maintenance facilities for the new public realm                                     While modest in scale the pavilions unlock public space around themselves to become the natural heart of a much wider re-development stretching most of the way south towards Hyde Park. The design approach is modular, based on a simple extruded ‘rib’ made from 100% post-consumer aluminium which can be used, unmodified, for both the enclosed pavilions and the externally exposed ‘tree’ which sits between the two.  We made lots of models during the design development - mostly because they were fun to make. Existing plan view (courtesy of Google Maps). Even with the edges smoothed out by the low resolution photo the place looks rubbish doesn’t it? Much better - Green roofs on both pavilions provide an attractive outlook for nearby residents while significantly contributing to the overall project’s ‘urban greening factor’ - that’s planning speak for ‘plants’. ︎  All projects Next project  ︎

The Old Motor Car Showrooms

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“Converting an old Art-Deco ‘home for cars’ into new ‘homes for people’”. 38-40 Croydon Road West Wickham, Kent Client — Columbia Threadneedle Area — 5,500 sqm Use — Residential led mixed use Status — Planning permision granted Somewhere amongst the retail detritus currently on this site is a locally listed landmark, built in the Art-Deco style in 1935, at a time when the motor car was applauded as modern and glamorous! The original building boasted a restaurant, a roof garden and an orchestra stage and was celebrated at the time as ‘Kent’s finest motor garage’. Now it’s a ‘Wickes’, and probably not ‘Kent’s finest’ one either. Our design restores the best bits of the original building and then mirrors its ‘streamlined’ 1930’s elevation around an existing central brick drum - to create a symmetrical facade that greatly enhances the civic presence of the site. The scheme creates 61 new apartments and sweeps away years of unsympathetic extensions, alterations and mobile telecoms infrastructure – to provide, once again, a forward looking building that locals can be proud of. The design includes a new building to the rear - set against a Thames Water balancing pond. We’re hoping this can be made to look like an attractive waterside setting - rather than some forgotten industrial infrastructure... Before.  After. Design development included an array of 3D prints to explore potential massing. Existing Section Proposed Section - showing the basement car park that was included to maximise the ‘car-free’ landscape setting of the Art Deco facade - which seems a little ironic given the original building’s purpose. Concept sketch... ...we’d love to say that the design came from one moment of conceptual genius - but that’s almost never true - and this was drawn well after the design was worked out (...obvs). ︎  All projects Next project  ︎

Wilton Road

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“The one that Prince Charles would like...perhaps”. 52-73 Wilton Road Client — Vitcorp Area — 10,500sqm Use — Commercial Retail, Offices and Residential Status — Awaiting Planning Appeal Decision This is a proposal for four ‘modern mansion blocks’ in the heart of Westminster. Exactly the sort of thing Prince Charles has been calling for over the last few years. The design does all the things you’d expect of a Westminster Planning Application. “You like the existing trees on site? We’ll treble the number.” “You like the existing open space at ground floor? We’ll provide more.” “You think the existing road gets blocked by buses and bin lorries? We’ll provide new spaces for vehicles off the carriageway to keep the traffic flowing.” Design development model showing setbacks at ground floor to provide more room for people (& vehicles) Elevation Model Detail (made by LL&Co.) Elevation Model Detail (made by LL& Co.) ...The list goes on. “You think the existing buildings look rubbish and out of keeping with Pimlico? – we’ve designed new ones which are made of masonry, with string courses, punched windows, arches - and a bottom, a middle and a top - all the same things that Cubitt was doing in Pimlico’s neighbouring Conservation Area.” “You think it’s too big? We’ll make it smaller.” “You like money? In the form of business rates and new employment? We’re nearly tripling the area on site which will generate plenty.” “…Oh - but you’re still unsure about our proposals?” One of the frustrations of the planning process is that you have these sorts of conversations with people - but one of the pleasures of the same process is that you have these sorts of conversations with people because they care. So …these are the sort of conversations we’ve been having. And happily they’ve led to a successful planning permission. View north along Wilton Road View south down Wilton Road towards Pimlico Conservation Area Elevation Model (made by LL & Co.) And as for Prince Charles – perhaps he wouldn’t like what he sees here – who knows?  – but he’d like the bits that he can’t see – like the Hybrid Steel/Cross Laminated Timber Structural system. This system means that instead of pumping 1500 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere during the building’s construction we’ll be taking 1500 tons of CO2 out. Majestic! Interior floor plates are made of Cross Laminated Timber panels resting on perforated steel beams with all heating cooling and ventilation within the floor void. ︎  All projects Next project  ︎

The Baltic Exchange

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“The one next to The Gherkin, that isn’t The Tulip.” The Baltic Exchange 38 St Mary Axe London Client — Baltic Exchange Holdings ltd Area — 5,844sqm Use — Commercial Office Status — Planning and Listed Building Applications submitted Our proposals for this Grade II listed building next to the Gherkin upgrade it to a BREEAM Outstanding rating and, over only 6 storeys, will provide a similar net area to the now defunct ‘Tulip’, (originally proposed immediately next door - and at 305m tall - well in excess of 80 storeys). The reception has a simple material palette and hugely improved lighting. Stairs are given more prominence in the ‘peristyle’ lobby - to encourage what we call ‘active movement’ - and what everyone else calls ‘walking up and down the stairs’. When originally designed - Primary (green) and Secondary (blue) facades suited their visibility in the townscape. ...so we’re going to upgrade it to make it look ‘Primary’. As now - a changed townscape makes the secondary facade much more visible than when it was originally conceived. ...we’ll tidy up the rest of it too - with new balconies on each floor and a huge new roof terrace for everyone to share. Having been almost destroyed by the IRA’s tragic 1992 bombing of the original Baltic Exchange building next door, in which 3 people died, the Grade II listed building includes a decorative Portland Stone façade to St Mary Axe by Sir Edwin Cooper (who was also responsible for the 1920’s façade retained within Richard Rogers’ Lloyds building nearby). The ‘secondary’ façade to Bury Court is much less ornate and was originally concealed by buildings which have now been removed. Our proposals re-imagine how the original architect might have designed this ‘secondary’ façade as a ‘primary’ façade - had he been presented with the civic space now surrounding the base of the Gherkin. This means adding more assertive architectural elements, for example new projecting dormers to the roof, and reinforcing a latent symmetry in the design by creating a new glazed ‘notch’ between the Bury Court and St Mary Axe elevations. The ‘notch’ also re-introduces natural light into the deepest part of the building plan and enables the creation of balconies on every floor of the building – providing external amenity space for the well-being of occupants. Arrival on the floorplate is greeted with views through to the Gherkin. Most of the floor plate is being cleared out to improve natural light and provide open-plan flexibility. A ‘memory’ of the building’s original layout will be retained in the treatment of the ceiling. Getting rid of a load of mechanical and telecoms kit on the roof allows us to make a great new terrace. ︎  All projects Next project  ︎

Projects


Featured Projects

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Ilona Rose House London WC2 “The one with the 3D printed façade”. Pinnacle House London SW19 “The one that made loads of money”. Danny Lodge Hurstpierpoint BN6 “The one that was on Grand Designs”. Walker’s Court London SW1 “The one with the neon sign...and a rotating theatre”. All the rest ︎

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