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Entwurf • Design Office S&M, GB-London
„We asked for ‘not boring’,
and boy did Office S&M deliver.“
Tamsin Chislett, Bauherrin
Grundriss Erdgeschoss • Ground floor plan Grundriss Obergeschoss • Upper floor plan versity, even repeated lockdown seems bearable.
Bauherr • Client Tamsin Chislett, Max Lines
Standort • Location Islington, GB-London
Nutzfläche • Floor space 55 m 2
Fotos • Photos French+Tye
Mehr Infos auf Seite • More info on page 134
MO-TEL HOUSE
IN LONDON
“No grey, anywhere!” was the client’s heartfelt wish. The
result is much more than that – a joyful residential cos-
mos brimming with light and character, in which people,
space, light, objects, materials and, last but not least, a
firework of colours all tell of the happiness of dwelling.
Thanks to the young London-based Office S&M, a damp,
dark and cramped place has become a promising oasis.
F ounded in 2013 by Catrina Stewart and Hugh McEwen, the small
but excellent architecture office S&M quickly attracted attention
with its fresh and unbiased approach. Unburdened by architectural hi-
story pigeonholes and expectations, their art is one of surprise. Mate-
rial, shapes and colours are deciphered and reassembled with a light
but powerful style. In this case, the task was to transform the 55-
square-metre lower ground floor of a Victorian townhouse, which is lo-
cated in the London borough of Islington, into a colourful retreat for a
family of four, a space full of surprises and delight suitable for young
and old alike. This deep-rooted need for a “wholesome” family
sanctuary may also have been reinforced by the experience of the lock-
down period in grey London. As it were, the living space is treated as a
“public space” in an urban planning scheme. Only one internal wall
was removed; the newly added architectural elements zone and accen-
tuate the different functional areas without limiting the spatial flow. Co-
lours and shapes are arranged in the space like road lines – repetitive
and connecting. Light switches, lamps, tile joints, supports, beams,
handrails, radiators, door and furniture handles are playfully used as if
from a child’s construction kit and are conceived as if they were part of
the urban space. Thus, on this ground floor, a small private world be-
comes a big wide world with an endless horizon. Mirrors have been
used strategically to accompany and reflect the light wandering through
the flat over the course of the day deep into the room. Every piece of
furniture and every material has its own story waiting to be discovered.
The architects at Office S&M think on a variety of levels about the ever-
yday cycles of life. What appear to be terrazzo surfaces in the kitchen
and the two bathrooms are made of recycled plastic waste. Noticeably,
the client and the designer speak the same language. It’s not surprising
that the client is the co-founder of a fashion rental company. The ap-
proach is multi-layered, rich in perspectives and inclusive in the best
sense of the word for a sustainable lifestyle. In this world of joyful di-
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