The Sanchez Benton Architects-led team retrofitted an unloved Brutalist structure into a public walled garden and artist studios
Sanchez Benton Architects with Gabriel Kuri and Nigel Dunnett for London Borough of Southwark
Contract value: £369,000
GIA: 672m2
Cost per m2: £549
This project showcases the ambition of both design team and client in retrofitting an unloved Brutalist structure, located on the edge of the Bricklayers Arms roundabout, for wider cultural benefit.
Sanchez Benton in collaboration with artist Gabriel Kuri has transformed the disused garage and podium terrace into a flourishing public walled garden and ground-level artist studios to support a thriving arts community.
Three large openings were punched through the first-floor slab, one for a public stair to the garden, the second for a large central skylight for the arts centre below, and the third for a new mature tree to grow through and provide shade.
The choice of materials and reuse of the original garage features and finishes create a light, characterful and joyful set of inside and outside spaces for a variety of adaptable uses.
London RIBA Regional Project of the Year Award 2022
London South West RIBA Regional Project of the Year Award 2022
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