Architect(s): Belsize Architects
Address: 10 Frederick Close, Hyde Park, LONDON, United Kingdom
Latitude/Longitude: 51.51350181573126,-0.1638037615803934
Photographs: Nick Kane
The Brassworks, located in a quiet mews close to Marble Arch, is a remodelling for the Church Commissioners of a former Victorian factory into a series of loft style apartments. It was originally built in 1819 as a brass instrument factory for Distin’s Military Musical Instrument Manufactory.
The focal point in this project was the creation of the internal courtyard with a bronze water sculpture at 1st floor level into which look all the public rooms of the flats. It is a peaceful haven and brings daylight and a sense of space into the heart of every apartment. The apartments at the courtyard level enjoy privacy thanks to a series of screen-printed sliding glass panels.
Externally, the original façade has been restored, allowing the building to sit proudly once again within its conservation area setting. On the ground floor the arches, previously partially blocked, have now been opened up with steel gates which reference the building’s musical history with a brass tubing motif. Tucked away on this level lies a particularly playful flat with irregular walls, an internal glazed courtyard and a sunken media room.
From the first floor upwards, the U-shaped layout of the building has been exploited to form two flats at each level. All the flats have their own exclusive external space, with the two penthouse flats enjoying large roof gardens accessed through two new pods.
Text description provided by the architects.
Client: Church Commissioners
Contractor: J. Coffey Construction Ltd
Structural engineer: Taylor Whalley Spyra
Project manager: King Sturge LLP
Contract value: £.6,600,000
Contributed by Belsize Architects
