WHERE THE ART IS

A VICTORIAN HOME IN A LEAFY LONDON BOROUGH IS ENHANCED BY A GALLERY-INSPIRED EXTENSION WITH A SWIRLING STEEL STAIRCASE

- Natasha Radmehr

Some of Hackney’s residents bristled when they learned that one of their neighbours was planning to extend their property. The leafy East London district is characterised by its neat Victorian terraces with ornate, Italianate features, and locals were worried that the contemporary design of the proposed addition would be incongruous with the conservation area.

“I think there were 27 objections, but fortunately the planning department were very supportive of the idea, praising it for its ‘high-quality, lightweight design’,” says Ben Cousins, co-founder of Cousins & Cousins, the architecture and interior design practice commissioned to undertake the project.

“And actually, in the end, there weren’t any problems,” adds Jelena Cousins, Ben’s wife and fellow co-founder. “Sometimes people just don’t like the idea of change, but once they actually live with it, it’s fine. A woman hit Richard Rogers over the head with an umbrella for designing the Centre Pompidou, and now it’s one of the most iconic buildings in the world!”

A space in which art is to be admired should be a vision in its own right, after all. And that factored into the thinking behind this project. The homeowners were keen art collectors and wanted to achieve a gallery-like experience with the extension, with plenty of space to hang paintings. Cousins & Cousins were mindful of this while following the brief to increase the footprint of the home in a unique and modern way.

“Previously, the house felt quite closed off and like a rabbit warren of lots of small rooms,” recalls Jelena. “We wanted to completely open up the building and create something quite sculptural while bringing as much natural daylight into the house as possible.”