The Glass Pavilion is located within the confines of an impressive Grade II-listed 197-bed Service Apartments in Bayswater, London. It is designed to replace a conservatory-style restaurant to cope with the increasing demand of the service apartments, whilst providing a building that meets with current standards of sustainability, level access and air-tightness. The new 2 storey building occupies the exact footprint of the previous single storey conservatory, with a modest increase in overall height of just over 1m.
Conceived as a cut stone, the asymmetrical shape is orientated to respond to the varying sightlines in approaches. The eaves level of the new restaurant on the west façade (main entrance) is retained as that of the previous restaurant building; rising on a steep slope to a new ridge level- to provide for a small mezzanine level for additional seating that is pulled back from the main envelope of the building to reveal a double-volume entrance slot- which doubles to borrow light onto the ground floor dining. The main entrance is characterised by a one-and-a-half volume space; with a lightweight stairs bringing one to the mezzanine dining area. The immediate site of the restaurant is essentially ‘land-locked’; surrounded by the rest of the main 5-storey building- a pressing factor in the creation of an entirely glazed architecture.
Enveloped entirely by slim-line Aluminium-framed glass curtain wall; walls become roofs; a glazed 5th elevation. Entrance doors are neatly set within the overall glazed facades. The restaurant is both naturally and mechanically ventilated; with open-able windows on the east and open-able roof –lights on the east-facing slope of the roof. The structure is conceived as a series of brightly coloured diagonal circular steel trusses supporting the fully glazed envelope. Diners are bathed in light within this Glass Pavilion.
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