david kohn architects + fiona banner: a room for london now open

‘a room for london’ by david kohn architects in collaboration with fiona banner photo by charles hosea perched above the queen elizabeth hall at london’s southbank centre, the boat-shaped one bedroom installation designed by david kohn architects in collaboration with fiona banner, offers guests a place of refuge and reflection amidst the flow of traffic surrounding its iconic location.

the winning entry of living architecture‘s competition ‘a room for london‘, asking participants to create a room on one of the most visible sites in the british capital, the one bedroom accommodation’s position makes it appear as if it is retreating floodwaters along the thames. the structure is influenced by the riverboat captained by joseph conrad while he was in the congo in 1890, a journey which is reflected in his most well-known literary work, ‘heart of darkness’.

the vessel’s lower and upper decks offer panoramic views of london by day and night, stretching from the big ben to st. paul’s cathedral, its pyramidal steel mast makes reference to one of london’s architectural highlights, the spire of hawksmoor’s christ church. within the boat’s interior is a timber object which has many nooks and crannies for guests to explore – accompanied by all the comforts that one would expect from a good hotel.

‘a room for london’ is currently open for bookings throughout 2012. for more information about reserving a night, please read here. see designboom’s previous article of david kohn and fiona banner’s proposal phase here.

the room sits perched about london’s queen elizabeth hall located at the city’s southbank centre photo by charles hosea

profile photo by charles hosea

view out over the thames photo by charles hosea

installation in progress photo by charles hosea

lifting of the vesselphotos by charles hosea

photo by david kohn

photo by charles hosea

photo by david kohn

kitchen area photo by charles hosea

the vessel’s interior timber lined walls are reminiscent of boats of ‘old’, but have been finished in magenta and turquoise. bespoke furniture is integrated within the environment, including a centrepiece bed which slides on rails to optimize one’s views over london. there is a pull-down ladder which offers access to a small library room situated above the main space.

panoramic window seating photo by charles hosea