studio octopi: a room for london

‘a room for london’ by studio octopi, london, england images courtesy of studio octopi

london-based practice, studio octopi has designed a temporary hotel room as part of living architecture’s ‘a room for london’ competition. the elliptical building is aligned as a compass, orienting its inhabitants within the city below. vertical timber slats clad the structure and echo the timber shuttered concrete of the queen elizabeth hall of which it sits upon. like a birds nest, the room discretely settles into its surroundings allowing for a private perspective of the busy southbank, where passerbys are unaware that they are being observed from above.

each external window selects a different backdrop of the city to focus on, making strong connections to its surroundings. infamous landmarks are framed through each opening, further orienting the users. the foreground and background of the city move in and out of focus, delivery excitement of future explorations to the viewer.

entrance

entered from the south through a protected walkway, the fluid space is arranged around a central courtyard that is laid out to suit the demands of its temporary guests. inside, the constant rhythmical flow of the courtyard provides an uninterrupted inward realm for contemplation and reflection. each outward facing window is armed with shutters to control the relationship between itself and its urban surroundings. high level windows at the east and west mark the beginning and end of each day. constructed from pre-fabricated elements of insulated structural timber panels, the structure is easily installed and moved, reducing disturbance to the queen elizabeth hall. bedroom