Gatehouse

It has been the point of interaction for visitors to the yard from its completion in the 1830s to present day. The building’s granite colonnade is mirrored by that of the Slaughterhouse building opposite, creating a grand sense of arrival. The exterior has seen little alteration over the years and inside the majority of original features remain.

The building houses the estate office for the yard, welcoming visitors and assisting residents and tenants with queries. The facilities were feeling dated and tired and did little to encourage people inside. Urban Splash wanted to create vibrant new spaces to improve the visitor experience and a fresh backdrop for new branding. We have worked closely with them to realise the potential of these small spaces, creating a flexible design which functions for multiple uses including information point, marketing suite and casual meeting spaces.

Internally, the spaces have been stripped back to reveal the beautiful historic features, and a renewed sense of coherency. A ribbed plywood backdrop has been added to the rear wall of each room, containing secret storage and a drinks making facility behind what appears to be one single plane of new material. Long, bespoke plywood desks have been designed to double up as meeting tables, and the lighting is bold and elegant. Plywood racks have been designed to display newly branded marketing materials and information within this beautiful historic setting.

All photographs by Richard Downer