A J Browne & Company
Holland Park House
Conversion of Grade II Listed Building
A J Browne was appointed as Architect, Interior Designer and latterly as Project Manager to convert a listed Grade II house in Holland Park which was built in 1864. This grand house was converted into flats in 1922 and was stripped internally of most of its original features in a subsequent renovation in 1972.
We were approached by the owner of the property (a member of the Royal House of Saud) in 1990 in order to draw up plans for the conversion of the building back into a single family townhouse. These plans were revised again in 1994 and 1998. It was then sold to a private Client who wanted to create a contemporary family home in central London.
There followed six months of intense negotiations with the Local Authority over the extent and type of work needed to alter the interior. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea granted consent for many unusual features on the basis that other areas of the building were sympathetically restored.
The design features in the house include:
- Two swimming pools in the lower ground floor (one for adults, one for children).
- A glass lift.
- A set of glass floors that run the full height of the property.
- A slide that runs from the Third to the Second floor as part of a double storey children's play installation.
- An illuminated glass floor in the kitchen.
- Two special stainless steel and glass staircases.
- State of the art lighting, computerised electrical controls, and a home cinema fit out. 'Pure water' facilities were also added.
- The integration of Modern art installations by well known 'Light Artists'.
- One of the children has an interest in traditional Japanese culture, and that area of the house is designed in that manner.
- An underground sauna rest room was excavated in the back garden while the adjoining garage was propped above it.
The Clients design brief was to create a harmonious and open design with as much light as possible. This has had to be achieved within the restrictions of a difficult site, issues concerning neighbours and the context of a listed building.
The work was completed in January 2003 and is being entered for several Design Awards.