Second Home Holland Park

Everything in this building is about scale. It is small but full of character, like a circus where every act matters as much as the next. It was designed by a Spanish practice.

The buildings carry a rich history. A famous 1960s film was shot here, in the studio of a fashion photographer, and a few years later a celebrated architect set up his very first studio here after winning a major competition. Stairs, skylights, a bridge and a vine he planted in the courtyard were kept as a treasure of modern archaeology.

The rest was simple. The existing mezzanine was extended and more skylights opened to bring light to the people and to eighteen real trees now growing inside.

Much of the courtyard was covered while keeping the vine alive, with a clear double-layer roof. To insulate it, the design team worked with an environmental engineer and filled the gap between the layers.