Transformation of a Victorian Pub

Tuckey Design Studio has transformed a derelict pub in West London – dating back to 1884 – into its new studio, accommodating the growth of the practice while doubling up as a gallery and lecture theatre. The new office serves as an example of the practice’s approach towards existing structures – bringing them back to life through intelligent architectural interventions. The former pub will therefore continue its function as an ‘urban living room’ but now through exhibitions, talks and community engagement.

The practice has inserted a freestanding timber volume into a large void created by removing part of the existing ground floor. This new platform simultaneously creates an integrated storage system while allowing natural light to filter down to a workshop in the basement. Therefore, the main visible design intervention is an L-shaped slot that cuts through the whole building, with a large mirrored wall on one side that bounces additional light to the lower floor. It also offers an illusion effect of a continuing street when viewed from the outside.

A timber lattice structure forms four walls of shelves that wrap around the upper level office space, containing books, models and drawings in a permanent exhibition of the practice’s work. The wooden walls also become desks for the architects that can be quickly converted into additional exhibition space or benches for a ‘theatre-in-the-round’. Below, the pub’s original vaults have been carefully restored to provide further exhibition opportunities for larger objects, lit from above as they would be in an intimate gallery. The rest of the lower level is used for the practice’s extensive model making, with the team working through design iterations in physical form.

Located on a prominent corner site behind the Olympia Exhibition Centre, the studio retains many of the pub’s original elements, embracing its Victorian heritage and protecting its presence on the street edge. During the renovation process, original exterior tiles were uncovered and kept to reveal a layer of the building’s past which had long been hidden. The office is able to create an open dialogue with passers-by thanks to a series of large windows that reveal its inner workings and outdoor tables that act as external meeting rooms.

Practice Director Jonathan Tuckey said: “Our new office can be found within the shadow of the V&A’s Blythe House and around the corner from Olympia and the new Design Museum. It sits within an immediate local scene of eclectic Victorian architecture and it was important to us to avoid disturbing this too much. Pubs have always been places that foster conversations about local issues and we wanted to extend this to include discussions about cities and their communities. This project demonstrates what you can do within existing built fabric and we look forward to welcoming friends and collaborators into the space.”

Tuckey Design Studio moved into the new office at the end of Summer 2017 while still making the finishing touches to the interior spaces. The studio has already hosted architectural exhibitions and talks as part of the Building on the Built series – www.buildingonthebuilt.org.

25 years of practice

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the practice. In recognition of this milestone and the collaborative efforts that go into each project, we've changed the name to Tuckey Design Studio (formerly Jonathan Tuckey Design) alongside a new website and graphic identity. At Open House 2024 we will be hosting a retrospective exhibition observing the various integral projects that illustrate our ethos of reuse and practice evolution throughout the years.