Modern meets Traditional

Albion House
Refurbishment + Extension, London, 2007
Douglas Fir, sedum roof
Project cost: £320,000

A Grade 2 listed building in Islington that was divided up into flats in the 1970’s has been restored and reinstated as a family home. The original house has been refurbished throughout with finishes that are light in both tone and texture and new units and insertions are respectful to the restored fabric and period details of the building.

The newly reinstated staircase occupies the same shaft of space as the original at the rear of the house. Glass balustrades sandwiched between steel plates draw a bold zigzag between the ground floor and the attic. Here it is met by three large roof lights that filter natural light down between stair treads and landing plates that sit back slightly from the walls and balustrades.

The resulting structure is reminiscent of an exploded diagram, with each element expressed as an object floating within a tightly defined vertical space. The levels feel more connected than ever they were, with movement between the four rooms of the first floor becoming a vertical as well as a horizontal experience.