Studioshaw has completed a vibrant new creative community space in west London
Designed by Studioshaw, Kindred is a 700-square-metre creative community space in Hammersmith, west London. Occupying a three-storey, grade II listed building next to Hammersmith tube station, the multi-use development comprises a cafe, bar, restaurant, live events venue, studio rooms for wellness activities and co-working space.
The design is intended to reflect the different uses and characters of each floor, says the architect. Spaces on the ground floor are open to the local community, while the upper floors are reserved for Kindred members and their guests during the day, and then opened up to the public in the evening. The middle floor is designed to accommodate a wide a range of functions, including members’ co-working, dining, music and events. Containing a series of private rooms suitable for yoga, meditation, meetings and private dining, the top floor can be reconfigured for larger events. It also contains a listed, ornate panelled room that was previously housed at London’s Geffrye Museum, before being returned to the site in the 1990s.
Ground, first and second-floor plans
A private planted terrace provides a connection to the surrounding public realm of Bradmore Square and the ground floor all-day cafe and bar. Furniture by Hay, combined with a simple palette of natural materials, including marble and brass, is used to create a contemporary yet classic interior aesthetic. Salvaged architectural features and artefacts have been carefully incorporated into the scheme, such as early eighteenth-century wood paneling, cornices, and timber on the staircase walls.
New design features include bespoke furniture pieces for the co-working and dining spaces, as well as a series of sculptural chandeliers designed by Umut Yamac in collaboration with the Matter of Stuff design research gallery. Titled ‘Flicker’, the kinetic fittings are part of a new series of works, which take their inspiration from fluttering autumnal leaves. Conceived as a focal point for the restaurant and bar, the chandeliers feature long-stemmed brass leaves that pivot on ring-shaped supports. The motion of the leaves creates new and unexpected dialogues between the space, user and light, explains the architect.
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