Neil at work in his home studio
Westcombe Court in its Brutalist glory
Light pours in from the large windows, which give the building its visual identity
Exterior shots published in Architectural Design magazine, November 1965
Neil's small hammer-like sculptures on display
A Japanese-inspired pine sliding door separates the bedroom and living area
Neil busy at work while his dog, Winnie, takes a nap
The Brutalist 'monster' shown in Architectural Design magazine, November 1965
"Everything is just in the right place," says Neil
The view outside, which in spring is dominated by green leaves
Our ‘Open House’ series sees us meet the owners of some of our most extraordinary houses ahead of their sale. Here, Neil Marlow invites us in for a look at his adapted Brutalist flat in London, first designed in 1965 by Chamberlin, Powell & Bon, a practice best known for designing the Barbican.
“The thing about Brutalist buildings is that theyre like monsters; they’ve got a real character. It almost feels like the place could come alive.
“With an architectural background, I guess I have a soft spot for good design and particularly Brutalist architecture. When I saw this place online, I came to view it, put an offer in and bought it. It was the only place I looked at.
“It was very different when I first arrived; the interior was pretty shabby. But I think what I noticed when I first came in here was the windows, the view and the natural light. I thought ‘if all the background stuff is there: the walls are solid, it’s organised in a sensible way and there is good light, anything I add will just improve it.’
“Inside, it feels like a little machine – I suppose it’s kind of in tune with it being a Brutalist building. Everything is just in the right place.
“Greenwich Park and Blackheath are on my doorstep. You get that sense of space in Richmond Park and Hampstead Heath but it’s quite unique in London. So I get up and walk my dog Winnie for an hour – its my walk to work.
I regularly walk from the flat to Victoria Park or the Olympic Park along the canal on the weekends, which are both wonderful walks. It’s a great location for anyone who enjoys the city but needs a bit of open space to breathe.
“I’ve met some really nice, interesting people on my walks. There are a lot of creative people in this area, lots of actors and directors. It’s a nice community in the block too, theyre all friendly neighbours.
“I think a lot of people think of Greenwich as being out of the way, outside of London. But for me its never felt like that, its always felt more central. And I think as time goes by, as London moves eastward, this area is becoming even more central.
“The flat had an antiquated heating system when I arrived that would heat up the place during the night and then slowly get cooler as the day went on. It was totally the wrong way around because you need the heat in the evening, so I replaced it with gas central heating, carving out some storage space for the boiler by reconfiguring the entrance space.
“I also put a false ceiling in the hall. I got the idea when I went to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House in L.A., the one in Blade Runner. Wright put a really low ceiling in the hallway but when you move through the rest of the house it opens up. So I used that trick to create some storage space but also to give the rest of the flat a sense of space.
“I genuinely love being here. I’m a sculptor and jeweller and I work from home; I probably spend 90 percent of my time in here and I never get bored!
“I’m moving to Ireland to set up a studio and artist retreat. I’ll really miss this place; it’s such a versatile flat. I’ve done every bit of my work here, so it’s accommodated me really well.”
ArchitectureInterviewsOpen House- 转载自：The Modern House
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