gianni botsford extends london terraced house with the layered gallery

nestled behind a grade II-listed five-storey terraced house in central london, a private gallery overlooking an enclosed courtyard has been created as a calm respite for contemplating art. named the ‘layered gallery’, a new doubled-layered corten elevation has been constructed to both substantially and sufficiently invite light and enliven the private garden space.

all images © luigi parise

the architects at gianni botsford integrated a sequence of screens to achieve the layered effect; hence the name ‘layered gallery’. the two screens; one composed of corten; the other of corten framed with glass creates an interesting visual play by the overlapping composition that is emphasized by the red blinds that work together with the museum-quality UV glass to protect the artwork from direct sunlight. on the lower ground level, the architects have placed an outdoor kitchen and, on the first floor, a viewing bench in the sun-drenched gallery itself.

the collected pieces of work have been hung against a corten screen that can slide and move along the wall due to the rail and in turn, the collection can be viewed and stored simultaneously. proving to be both functional and distinctive, the layered gallery building has itself become a framed piece of art like those on display inside.

‘the entire dendritic facade of the gallery is supported by the weathering steel frame made from flat stiffened plates branching out over the three-storey structure and supported off just two 120mm x 12mm steel posts with a stiffening rib on the rear face.’ explains toby maclean of TALL structural engineers. ‘in a reversal of the usual structural hierarchy, the facade is also the main structural frame of the gallery and supports all the floors and roof, as well as providing stability.’

the hanging of corten screens on rails is used for storing and viewing the collection