Fulham Pavilion
Location:
Fulham, London
Client:
Private
Lead Designers:
Jonathan Silver + Satchel Tang (during employment at Silver & Co)
Credits:
Silver & Co (Interiors & Architecture)
Building Style (Main Contractor)
Holgate Consulting (Structural Engineering)
Taylor & Tang (Photography)
Scope of Work:
RIBA Stage 0 to 6 - Concept to Completion
Fulham Pavilion is a multi-functional, self-contained garden studio designed for an artist couple and their child, at the bottom of their garden in West London.
This small building replaced a derelict shed, to meet the sculptor/designer and painter’s needs, which include work, hobbies, play, storage and wellbeing. It also needs to be turned into a gallery or guest room occassionally. With these in mind, the studio has to be as flexible, open and airy as possible.
In the multi-purpose room, birch ply has been chosen as the main material for all the built-in furniture, as well as internal sliding doors. The full height ply doors on both sides of the kitchenette slide to reveal an artist’s wash-up sink and a toilet + shower room.
Hidden within the full height storage cupboard stands a folded table-tennis table, which is one of the client's other passions. More shelving units run along the top and bottom on both sides of this cupboard, to provide storage space for art materials. A hanging rail is fitted underneath both of the top units for guests to hang their clothes. On the ceiling and in front of these units, there are tracks for hanging paintings when the space is being used as a gallery. The bottom storage units double up as seats, as well as platforms for luggage when guests stay over.
When needed as a guest room, a section of the timber floor can be mechanically lifted up to reveal a sunken bed. The full width built-in desk can be folded down when it is not being used or when more space is required in the room.
The light-filled space with opening skylights, windows and glazed sliding doors leads onto a heated veranda where the family gets to appreciate their garden and enjoy outdoor dining whenever possible. This is also a spot where the wife enjoys practicing yoga.
For the exterior, anthracite zinc and Accoya timber cladding were chosen for their sustainability, durability, stability and longevity. These finishes complement the existing brick wall of the warehouse behind.
Due to the position of this building, it gets lots of direct sunlight. As such, a steel canopy with matching timber slats to that of the side elevations and automatic roller mesh blind have been introduced to ensure that both the interior and veranda do not get overheated during summer, on the hotter days. To tie the whole building together, the same timber slats form the new balustrade around the veranda.
This project was featured in George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, Channel 4, Financial Times - House & Home section and on online architecture and design magazines, such as Dezeen, Arch Daily and Humble Homes.
