OMA + allies and morrison add residential blocks to london's commonwealth institute site

OMA + allies and morrison add residential blocks to london’s commonwealth institute site
image by nick guttridge / all images courtesy of OMA

after originally winning a competition to undertake the project in 2008, OMA has now completed its overhaul of the commonwealth institute site in london. realized in collaboration with allies & morrison, the project sees the construction of three limestone-clad residential blocks around the listed commonwealth institute building, which has also been fully renovated ahead of its opening as the new design museum later this year.

three residential blocks surround the listed commonwealth institute building
image by nick guttridge

the sale of 54 residential units has helped fund the commonwealth institute’s restoration and conversion, which will feature interiors by john pawson. the three new residential structures are positioned around the listed exhibition hall, intended as a composition of free-standing blocks in a green setting — each oriented to carefully align with the site’s listed centerpiece. the front building, set back from the street, responds to the urban scale of kensington high street, while the largest of the three corresponds to the height of park close’s two adjacent structures, which both date from the 1960s.

the structure, which which will open as the new design museum, has been fully renovated
image by sebastian van damme

the orthogonal geometries of the site’s latest additions form a deliberate contrast with the hyperbolic geometries of the exhibition hall’s roof. each residential façade is a hybrid of two different typologies: one being an array of identical vertical windows, the other an expression of the buildings’ structural grid. the latter of the two ensures sweeping views, while incorporating outdoor spaces — including large terraces on the upper floors.

the sale of 54 residential units has helped fund the commonwealth institute’s restoration and conversion
image by nick guttridge

the site’s vehicular traffic has been eliminated, with a continuous basement connecting the three residential buildings and the design museum at a single service level. this subterranean storey also houses a number of collective facilities for the residents, such as a spa, a sky-lit swimming pool, a cinema, and a gym.

individual apartment units incorporate their own outdoor spaces
image by hufton + crow

the commonwealth institute’s main exhibition hall will be the new home of the design museum, offering nearly three times more space than its previous home. with the exception of the roof and its supporting structure, the building has been almost entirely rebuilt. a new basement has been installed, while the floors within have been rebuilt at new levels to accommodate the needs of the museum. the previous 1960s elevations have been replaced with energy efficient fritted façades, designed to resemble its original appearance.

generous views are provided across the site
image by nick guttridge

orthogonal geometries contrast the dramatic hyperbolic geometries of the exhibition hall’s roof
image by philip vile

an array of identical vertical windows stretches along the façade
image by hufton + crow

each building is oriented to carefully align with the site’s listed centerpiece
image by sebastian van damme

the scheme has been conceived as a series of free-standing blocks in a green setting
image by sebastian van damme

1/18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: holland green
architects: OMA with allies & morrison
developer: chelsfield developments (kensington) ltd.

OMA team —
partner in charge: reinier de graaf
project director: carol patterson
project managers: mario rodriguez, isabel silva, fenna wagenaar, mitesh dixit, richard hollington III, beth hughes

allies and morrison team —
partners: simon fraser, robert maxwell
director: neil shaughnessy
associate directors: joel davenport, heidi shah
associates: sean joyce, johanna coste-buscayret
team: dinka beglerbegovic, fabiana paluszny, stuart thomson

design team —
structural engineer: arup structures
services engineer: arup services
acoustics: arup acoustic
façades: arup facades / FMDC
fire: arup fire
quantity surveyor: AECOM
landscape architect: west 8
interior design: CZL