C20 has noted its appreciation that Sir David Chipperfield’s first UK building has been designated Grade II: No,1 Cobham Mews Studios, Camden, developed between 1987-89 on a backland site and former scrapyard off Agar Grove.
C20 Society writes:
1 Cobham Mews Studios… served as the office and studio of David Chipperfield Architects for over 20 years, until they moved to new premises in 2011. It has subsequently been the studio of landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman, who have plans to vacate and convert it from office to residential usage, creating 4 new dwellings within the existing building. The Society supports a residential conversion in principle, but recommended listing the building to ensure any changes are carefully managed and sympathetic.
The listing designation comes at David Chipperfield Architects is celebrating 40 years in practice and other notable projects are currently in the news. Their award-winning The River and Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames (1998) will permanently close in September after long-running financial struggles. Meanwhile the former U.S. Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London (1960) re-opens as the Chancery Rosewood Hotel next month, after a decade long conversion project led by Chipperfield. The former embassy is the only UK building by architect Eero Saarinen and was Grade II listed in 2009 following an application by the Society.
