Corner House adds all the right angles to this London terrace
An unusual mix of contemporary detailing, pared down decor, traditional brick and blind windows signal 31/44 architects' modern take on the historical Victorian terrace in South London
Manser Medal-winner 31/44 architects have magicked another piece of good-looking residential architecture out of an overlooked London plot. Corner House sits at the end of a Victorian terrace in a quiet part of Peckham, South London, on the site of an under-used side garden.
The new-build element comprises a 105 sq m house, while the firm has converted existing property next door into a 63 sq m ground floor flat and 71 sq m maisonette.
Rather than trumpeting its arrival with on-trend cladding, the grey London stock brickwork sits comfortably in its surroundings, and the building’s rounded corner nods to the curve of the pub opposite. And instead of a period pastiche, the detailing is pared back. Hence the contemporary take on cornicing, and the blind windows on the side elevation.
‘We like the idea that we adopt an architectural language and then distort or subvert it,' says 31/44 director Will Burges of this approach. Likewise, the new pair of minimalist stoops, which complete the street’s line of double front door steps.
One leads to a front door while the other leads to a window. Beneath this false doorway is tucked the entrance for the new three-bedroomed house. Burges believes that the flat-roofed extension with its cement cladding panel and vertical timber louvre quietly questions the age of the house, and makes its provenance ambiguous. ‘We don’t think that good cities are made up of lots of iconic buildings all shouting,' he adds.
Corner House is the first new-build for local property developer Sara Mungeam. She approached 31/44 architects having seen their Manser Medal-winning Red House – another speculative end-of-terrace project in nearby East Dulwich. ‘We’ve done quite a lot of sites now where you wouldn’t expect a house to go,' Burges points out.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
The moments fashion met art at the 60th Venice Biennale
The best fashion moments at the 2024 Venice Biennale, with happenings from Dior, Golden Goose, Balenciaga, Burberry and more
By Jack Moss Published
-
Crispin at Studio Voltaire, in Clapham, is a feast for all the senses
New restaurant Crispin at Studio Voltaire is the latest opening from the brains behind Bistro Freddie and Bar Crispin, with interiors by Jermaine Gallagher
By Billie Brand Published
-
Vivienne Westwood’s personal wardrobe goes up for sale in landmark Christie’s auction
The proceeds of ’Vivienne Westwood: The Personal Collection’, running this June, will go to the charitable causes she championed during her lifetime
By Jack Moss Published
-
Stephen Friedman Gallery by David Kohn is infused with subtly playful elegance
Stephen Friedman Gallery gets a new home by David Kohn in London, filled with elegant details and colourful accents
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Henry Wood House’s postmodernist bones are refreshed by Nice Projects in London
Nice Projects breathes new life into the Henry Wood House in London, offering ample flexible office spaces for modern workers
By Daven Wu Published
-
‘Bio-spaces’ exhibition at Roca London Gallery celebrates biophilic design
‘Bio-Spaces: regenerative, resilient futures’ opens at the Roca London Gallery as ‘a call to action to stop designing nature out’
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affair
A new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition design
The Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This South Downs house stands as a testament to the value of quiet refinement
At one with the landscape, a South Downs house uses elements of quintessential country villas and midcentury gems with modern technologies
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ash Tree House offers a contextual approach to a north London site
Ash Tree House by Edgley Design is a modern family home in a north London conservation area's backyard site
By Ellie Stathaki Published