polished aluminum clads artists' atelier by barozzi veiga in london's design district

Artists’ Atelier by barozzi veiga in London

Barozzi Veiga has designed a pair of aluminum-clad buildings as part of the Design District, a new one-hectare neighborhood in London’s Greenwich Peninsula developed as a permanent base for creative businesses to trade, interact and grow. The Spanish firm is one of eight emerging architectural practices selected across Europe to each design a pair of buildings independently and ‘blind’ from each other in this new neighbourhood devoted to design, art, tech, craft and music (read more about the scheme here). Titled ‘Artists’ Atelier’, the project comprises of two simple and elegant volumes ‘that seek to have an adequate proportion with their surroundings.’ Together, the two volumes, A1 and D4, provide about 2300 sqm of flexible space and are the new home respectively for Ravensbourne University and NOW Gallery.

all images by Simon Menges

ALUMINUM-CLAD BUILDINGS AT THE DESIGN DISTRICT

Barozzi Veiga’s two buildings at the Design District play with the imaginary of an artist’s studio. Both volumes are designed with photographers, artists and sculptors in mind, emphasizing the use of light in a workspace defined by large windows, double-height rooms, external staircases and a raw materiality. Located at the entrance, A1 is the first volume and serves as the new home of Ravensbourne University. With its polished aluminum exterior, the building invites visitors from near and far. The reflection of light on its facade changes throughout the day, making it appear different in each season and allowing it to light up the surrounding courtyards and alleys. Meanwhile, D4, which houses NOW Gallery, is located on the site’s central square and features a slim black facade.

‘The appearance of the two volumes expresses the idea of creating a single project made up of a pair of figures, chromatically opposed, but in dialogue with each other,’ notes the Barcelona-based architecture studio. ‘The chromatic differences provide two moments along the path through the district while evidently stemming from a unitary design logic.’

the building’s polished aluminum exterior invites visitors from near and far