Project: The Water Tower
Architects: ACR Architects
Location: London, United Kindom
Photo Credits: 1st Option
Built in 1877, the grade II listed water tower was purchased by our clients with planning approval, as obtained by Woodhall Planning and Conservation, to convert to a single family home.
ACR Architects were appointed and entrusted to take the project from the design stage through to completion and in the process tailoring the design to meet the clients, Leigh Osborne & Graham Voce’s personal needs & requirements and providing them with their dream home. This required several key changes to the original design including internal layouts; external finishes including anthracite grey aluminium cladding replacing the approved patinated copper cladding system; the introduction of 5.3m high full height sliding doors to the kitchen; living & dining areas of the ‘cube’ extension; and most significantly the retention of the original cast iron water tank which tops the building with the inclusion of frameless tinted glazed units offering 360° views of London.
The Water Tower itself comprises of 7 floor levels leading off the retained original stone staircase, starting with its own self-contained plant room in the basement; followed by a gymnasium and then five bedrooms on top of each other with the third floor master bedroom being a mezzanine floor within a double height space with the dressing below and the prospect room with 360° views of London at the top. Two new extensions, the ‘link’ & the ‘cube’ then provide the additional habitable & circulation spaces to complete the dwelling. The ‘link’ comprises the service core, lift shaft, utility room a wc and four bathrooms all of which are connected to the existing tower via a glazed curtain wall system. The ‘cube’ extension offers double height kitchen/dining and living spaces which overhang the ground floor garage. Above the ‘cube’ is a 36m² roof terrace with an unobstructed of view of the London skyline from west to east.
