East Ham

A suburban town centre in East Ham is home to a prominent and well-loved Art Deco building on the corner of High Street North and Skeffington Road. This building, however, is not original and was in fact lovingly recreated after the destruction caused by WW2 bombing. Autor recognised that the building represents an important local asset and so the proposal for the new redevelopment will retain the current frontage and take design cues from it.

The strong, repeating patterns created across the existing façade set the tone for parapet level above. Angled away from the street edge, the new upper floors will be contained within a contemporary version of the traditional mansard roof. The vertical bands that run along the top of the building will create opportunities for an abundance of glazed sections, allowing light to pour into the top flats.

The entire development is divided into three horizontal sections, with the lower parts wrapped in a glazed brick to help it blend in with the surrounding architecture and provide a solid base. Two routes from street level will guide the residents into a tranquil internal courtyard, while private gardens, terraces and balconies will add further outside amenity spaces.

Through an extensive analytic process, it was possible for Autor to create a design that celebrates a local landmark and rebuild the character of the area.