Emil Eve Architects

Emil Eve Architects

51 Regent Studios
5th Floor
8 Andrews Road

London, E8 4QN

+44 (0)20 8058 0515

info@emileve.co.uk

Emil Eve Architects

Charlotte Road

Renovation and extension of five interlinked warehouse buildings in the heart of South Shoreditch conservation area to create sixteen new apartments and a commercial unit. A large new shared roof garden provides precious outdoor space in an inner-city location.

The scheme brings cohesion while still celebrating the historic warehouse architecture. Original details have been preserved, from the simple recessed stairway handrail to the timber roof structure.

The rich character of the existing buildings has been given new life through reconfiguration into light-filled apartments, designed for rental rather than sale. Sliding partitions allow each unit to be let as a live-work space – answering both market demand and planning conditions.

Materials including solid oak and steel have been chosen for their tactility and ability to age beautifully. Each unit is unique, but all feature exposed brick walls and bespoke joinery, with new sash windows and high quality materials and finishes throughout.

This retrofit project unlocks the potential of a well constructed building that was in poor condition, having been subdivided into low quality workspaces. Converting them to residential use, the architects stripped back the ad hoc layers and false ceilings to make the most of the building’s open spaces.

The shopfront on Curtain Road has been restored with new metal-framed glazing and glazed brick piers, bringing the building’s historic industrial character back to the street.

The architects shepherded the project through a complex planning process which involved multiple stages and conditions and was dictated by the building’s location in a dense urban conservation area. Delivery required careful planning to enable large scale work on a site sitting on busy highways with restricted access and no surrounding outside space.

Photography: Mariell Lind Hansen

Press:
Architects' Journal
Dezeen
Architonic

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