nile street, london

This penthouse apartment had been formed out of a former East London warehouse building in the late 1990s. The original configuration accessed the substantial roof terrace via a small conservatory pavilion at roof level. The brief was to replace this conservatory with a new 35 sqm living area and study, create two new roof gardens to the east and west, and refit the principal bedroom, bathroom and living areas to the lower floor.

The roof extension continues the architectural language of the original conversion, making extensive use of standing seam zinc cladding, full height glazing in galvanized steel frames and Iroko hardwood details. The form of the new pavilion is a mono pitch rising to the south which oversails a freestanding suede panelled wall element framed in bronze. This contains a minimal fireplace and forms the focus of the room.

The interior remodelling to the lower floor reflects the client's interest in Asia; a wall of storage units finished in honey coloured silk and framed in bronze leads the eye through the open plan master bedroom area to the bamboo planted lower terrace. Decorative Thai silks were also selected to accessorize the bed, a floating oak platform against a back-lit stitched leather headboard.

The bathroom was re-fitted in warm limestone including a bespoke stone washing trough with inset teak shelf. The limestone is complemented by a backlit strip of mirror that wraps around the room, expanding the space with infinite cross reflections.