philip gumuchdjian restores richard rogers' wimbledon house

for the past two years, architect philip gumuchdjian and landscape architect todd longstaffe-gowan have been working to restore richard rogers’ famed ‘wimbledon house’ in london to its former glory. the heritage-listed property, also known as ’22 parkside’, was completed in the late 1960s for rogers’ parents and was gifted to the harvard graduate school of design (GSD) in 2015 to ensure its continued use as a residence. to mark the completion of the restoration, new images have been taken of the dwelling by architectural photographer iwan baan.

the heritage-listed property was originally completed in the late 1960s
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design (also main image)

following the renovation work by gumuchdjian and longstaffe-gowan, the updated house is being utilized by the harvard GSD for the first time. ’22 parkside’ serves as the residence for the newly launched richard rogers fellowship, a program that seeks to support research that addresses alternative and sustainable urban futures. chosen from more than 200 applicants, the first class of fellows has now taken residence at the house with research studies already underway.

the updated house is now being utilized by the harvard GSD for the first time
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

in addition, the site will form a new GSD venue for a wide variety of events, bringing together scholars and practitioners from london, as well as further afield. ‘located near some of the world’s finest resources for research in urbanism, the richard rogers fellowship program represents both an international extension of the GSD’s physical footprint and the school’s commitment to engaging issues faced by cities globally,’ says mohsen mostafavi, dean and alexander and victoria wiley professor of design, harvard GSD.

’22 parkside’ serves as the residence for the newly launched richard rogers fellowship
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

‘parkside is not just an iconic, flexible machine for living, nor simply a historic experimental building that foretold the architect’s future work; it was also a home with a unique memory, patina, and aura,’ explains philip gumuchdjian, who worked under richard rogers in the 1980s. ‘conserving these qualities within a wholly refurbished twenty-first-century building tailored to harvard’s new use was our aim and hopefully the achievement of the team’s work.’

partitions slid open to reveal library and admin space
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

‘parkside is a total work of art, where the house, gardens, and interiors were conceived in concert to form a unified whole,’ adds landscape architect todd longstaffe-gowan. ‘the alternating rhythm of pavilions and garden courts contribute considerably to the striking theatricality and luminosity of the ensemble; the outdoor rooms are at once boundless and enveloping. our aim has been to restore the original balance of the 1960s composition to better reflect the architect’s original intentions, and to recover the richness, rhythm, and textures of the landscape that give parkside its particular charm.’

the first class of fellows has now taken residence at the house
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

restored furniture alongside original furniture by ernesto rogers
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

the site will form a new GSD venue, capable of hosting a wide variety of events
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

the home was gifted to the harvard graduate school of design in 2015
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

the famed dwelling will continue to be used as a functioning residence
photograph by iwan baan / courtesy of the harvard graduate school of design

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richard rogers wimbledon house philip gumuchdjian harvard GSD designboom

project info:

architects: gumuchdjian architects
landscape: todd longstaffe gowan
services engineering: atelier 10/patrick bellew (competition); aecom, northern ireland (implementation)
structural engineering: techniker (matthew wells)

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