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South Audley Street

This six-storey Georgian house required restoration and revival in way that took account of its vertical, slim but well-proportioned nature. With the notable exception of the staircase, many original features had been lost but the proportion of the spaces within remained inviting. The one advantage of such an erosion of period elements was a free reign in crafting internal spaces within the fabric of the listed house.

An important early decision was to open up the lower ground floor in radical fashion. A warren of small spaces was converted into a spacious, interconnected kitchen and dining area that takes up most of the floor.

The house as whole was striking palette of soothing and glossy whites, with bursts of brighter colour that instil a dynamic character overall. The library/study is designed to have bespoke panelling and joinery in a lacquered pea green finish, offering a pleasing surprise when one steps into the room. Bursts of colour feature elsewhere in the house offering contrasts with the subtle restraint of the circulation spaces throughout.

“This… restored 18th century residence in one of London’s most exclusive neighbourhoods offers a balance of entertainment and family living spaces.”

Wall Street Journal, 23rd September 2010
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James Gorst’s work has helped to heal one of the most unnecessary and painful wounds in contemporary British architecture: between the traditionalists and the modernists. Like Louis Kahn in the United States or Peter Zumthor in Switzerland, Gorst reminds us that modernism can be beautifully reconciled with the underlying principles of classicism and that modern materials and idioms can carry all the elegance, dignity and grandeur associated with historical masterpieces.

Alain de Botton

© 2025 James Gorst Architects. All rights reserved.

Design: Tom Green Design. Build: Designagogo.