London's Victoria is abuzz with development, and what (astonishingly) used to be a somewhat overlooked part of the city centre, will soon inspire renewed excitement as a coveted spot to live, work and play.
Developer Land Securities has a central role in the area's transformation. Injecting a much-needed residential element into Victoria Street – the neighbourhood's main circulation and commercial vein – was top of their list. The first residential project to reach completion is Kings Gate, a luxurious new building comprising 100 units and retail on the ground level.
The architect, Patrick Lynch, has been working on the project since 2010 and is the brains behind its attractive, cleverly articulated facade. 'Placing a residential building, Kings Gate, onto Victoria Street was tricky in technical terms and in terms of architectural decorum,' he says. 'The challenge was to find an architectural character and scale of facade that enabled a multitude of private lives – secreted behind stone piers and balconies – to encounter the very public territory of office blocks and its immediate neighbour, Westminster City Hall.'
Lynch's aim was to create 'useful, virtuous, beautiful architecture, on the basis that these are the reasons why buildings become sustainable and why they endure as part of a city'. Producing long lasting architecture is strongly connected to the quality of its public spaces and details, such as door handles, are as important as the overall urban mass of a project. At the same time, the apartment interiors are by Millier Design.
The building forms a pair with the next-door Zig Zag Building, also by Lynch, which caters for commercial uses. 'Together they create a series of shared public spaces,' explains the architect. He is now working on detail design drawings on two more projects for Land Securities at the western end of Victoria Street, just a few hundred yards from Kings Gate. Nova Place (including a new public library for Westminster City Council) and Nova East will complete the constellation of mixed-use high-end constructions that will help define the new Victoria.
A book by Patrick Lynch, coming out this month, entitled Mimesis (Artifice Books, 2016) investigates the issues touches by these projects and the ancient question of poetics in architecture and its role in our visual imagination.
Lynch spent a lot of time investigating the stone-clad facade’s distinctive articulation
His aim was to create a design that befits its private residential use, while setting up a dialogue with nearby commercial and public buildings
The building’s distinct character is palpable inside too, with high ceilings and long vistas through its linear facade elements
Victoria may be abuzz with development, but careful design and sound proofing means that life can be very peaceful in the Kings Gate apartments
The Kings Gate building forms a pair with the next-door Zig Zag Building, which was also designed by Lynch and will host commercial uses
Lynch’s attention to detail is reflected on the building’s public space details, such as door handles
INFORMATION
For more information on the development visit the website
-
Corner Corner may be London's most unique entertainment destination yetThe newly-opened venue combines food, jazz and—yes—urban farming beneath one sprawling roof
-
The Wallpaper* Design Issue comes with our Salone del Mobile must-seesThe May 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is on sale now, taking in Milan Design Week, the Venice Biennale, and a very stylish tea party
-
Aboard Gio Ponti's colourful Arlecchino train in Milan, a conversation about design with FormafantasmaThe design duo boards Gio Ponti’s train bound for the latest Prada Frames symposium at Milan Design Week
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in OxfordThe Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodellingNorth Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its gardenArchitects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional spaceA multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
-
A 1960s North London townhouse deftly makes the transition to the 21st CenturyThanks to a sensitive redesign by Studio Hagen Hall, this midcentury gem in Hampstead is now a sustainable powerhouse.
-
Manchester United and Foster + Partners to build a new stadium: ‘Arguably the largest public space in the world’The football club will spend £2 billion on the ambitious project, which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has described as the ‘world's greatest football stadium’
-
An architect’s own home offers a refined and leafy retreat from its East London surroundingsStudioshaw has completed a courtyard house in amongst a cluster of traditional terraced houses, harnessing the sun and plenty of greenery to bolster privacy and warmth
