The commission involved designing an art gallery to exhibit and store pieces of various sizes and formats, from sculptures and installations to paintings of all techniques and black-and-white photographs. Since the collection would continue to grow over time, it was essential that both the exhibition space and archive be highly flexible.
The gallery is essentially an extension of a private, traditionally styled home, located within a protected green area (London Green Belt). The architectural approach is based on two volumes connected on the upper level by a glass corridor. While the main volume serves as the exhibition space for the artworks, the auxiliary volume houses the art and photography archive, the curator’s office, and other support areas.
An important detail is that environmental conditions can be controlled independently in both buildings, allowing each space to meet its specific requirements.
The project features two exterior façades. The first can be considered traditional, as it follows the design language of the existing house. The second takes a modern approach, integrating with the landscape through both design and the use of materials like copper cladding. Despite the stylistic contrast, the two façades are unified in the composition of the gallery’s main entrance, which opens onto the courtyard—a space where sculptures are displayed and where several gardens converge.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION – A wall emerges from the courtyard, forming the main staircase and creating new indoor exhibition spaces, which in turn project outward, opening views toward the surrounding gardens.