Skip Stop House is a multi-unit developer project in Marylebone, which composed of two existing buildings being combined to form: commercial units on the ground level, four individual flats and a mansard roof extension above. DH Liberty was asked to find an architectural language to combine the buildings in a creative way. Our solution was to blur the boundaries of the two adjacent buildings and create Skip-Stop units, which offer both lateral and vertical spaces. The circulation strategy would accommodate entrances at every other level keeping the horizontal spaces as social program and the vertical spaces as circulation and private program.
Juxtaposing heavy, industrial mesh with light translucent glass, DH Liberty creates veils of privacy between the vertical stairwells and horizontal living spaces. This can be seen in the translucent glass creating a blurred boundary between the shower and stairwell zones.
The demolition process revealed a building rich with layers of history; exposing existing walls covered in aged wallpaper, tiles and brick. DH Liberty decided to reveal this historical story by featuring these walls through framed "windows" of new construction. The exposed walls become a unique language; which speaks to the character of the building. In the Master Bedroom, an exposed brick wall acts as a headboard for a bed. In the living rooms, existing fireplace flues, discoloured by wallpaper, are refitted with modern bio-fuel fireplaces.
Our hand-blown lighting pendants provide a contrast to the graphic black mesh and white walls by dropping delicate glass objects throughout the space. The pendants are decorated by intricate brass wrapped around organic, pear-like forms and hanging from black, braided silk ropes.
