This extraordinary detached warehouse
conversion is uniquely located on a private gated mews in central
Islington. Designed by 6a Architects, one of the uk’s most acclaimed
practices, in collaboration with the current owner, it offers security,
seclusion and an interior of rare quality.
The house measures
more than 3,500 sq ft over two floors, with a roof terrace on top. It
has been configured to suit the needs of the current owner, but is
highly flexible.
Upon entering the house, there is a reception
room with a small downstairs utility area and a shower / cloakroom
beyond. The ground floor also contains two separate artists’ studios
(not pictured), with very high ceilings and natural light through
high-level windows; each has a cloakroom and its own access from the
mews. These are separated by simple blockwork walls, and could be
combined to create one huge room or two en-suite bedrooms.
The
first floor is dedicated to an astonishing 86ft living space. This is
loosely divided, with a kitchen at one end, a dining area, sitting area,
and a bedroom at the other end with a freestanding bath and a separate
shower / steam room. It has a poured-concrete floor, a profiled-steel
ceiling, exploded L beams and original warehouse doors. The house was
designed for an art collector, with a series of glass vitrines and
museum archive storage units set on floor runners, which can be
repositioned to create different spatial arrangements. A spiral
staircase in the kitchen provides access to the roof, which has an
irrigation system, a decked seating area, and planting by the renowned
landscape designer Dan Pearson.
The house is very secure, with
metal roller shutters and a security system, and the gate to the mews is
automatically locked every evening and at weekends. It has underfloor
heating, solar panels, an air-source heat pump and a wood-burning fire.
There is a projector and cinema screen on the upper floor, with built-in
speakers and a Sonos sound system, and remote-control roof blinds. The
house has provision for two cars to be parked in the mews.
The
finest materials have been used in the conversion: Museum-standard uv
glass that admits extensive natural light but doesn't damage the
artworks; built-in ceramic tiles by the artist Paul Rego; bronze door
furniture designed by 6a Architects; cast-concrete worktops; fossilised
stone salvaged from Heathrow Airport; floors and kitchen worktops made
from poured concrete.
Founded by rca graduates Tom Emerson and
Stephanie Macdonald, 6a Architects are particularly notable for their
work in the arts, including a highly lauded extension to the South
London Gallery, the Raven Row gallery in Spitalfields, which was
nominated for the Stirling Prize, and the Fashion Galleries at the
V&A, which were nominated for the Mies van der Rohe Award. The
practice recently gained significant international attention for a
wonderful cast-iron façade at the Paul Smith showroom in Mayfair.
The
mews is jointly owned by its residents. Angel Underground station
(Northern Line), and the shops and restaurants on Upper Street, are a
short walk away. The property is also conveniently located for the City,
King’s Cross, Shoreditch and Clerkenwell.