When sculptor Peter Randall-Page RA decided to convert a rather nondescript, modern cow barn into a storage facility for his work, he turned to his son for help. Architecture-trained Thomas Randall-Page, who worked with Studio Heatherwick and 6a before setting up his own practice in 2014, proceeded to complete the modest, but beautifully crafted piece of architectural reuse, delivering his client's wishes to perfection; this is ‘Art Barn', a jewel box of a design that has been customised to create, store, archive and occasionally show art.
Located deep in the Devon countryside, the project sits in an idyllic location, surrounded by rolling hills and lush greenery on the egde of Dartmoor National Park. Large openings and a floor-to-ceiling sliding door not only allow the striking natural views and fresh air in, but also ensure large scale sculpture can be easily moved in and out as required.
Meanwhile, a series of industrial scale shutters made out of cedar and galvanised steel can fold and slide, revealing more or less of the interior and views as required by the activities inside - one even transforms into a large, private balcony.
‘My brief stipulated that the building’s exterior should appear hermetically sealed, retaining the character of its agricultural origins,' says the artist. ‘I wanted the experience of arrival to be a slow reveal with levels and apertures unfolding as one moves around the space.'
A large, day-lit gallery sits at the heart of the building. Painted white and kept purposely simple, it becomes the perfect backdrop for viewing art. Next to it, a room-within-a-room contains the commission's office space - known as the ‘Winter Studio'. It is wrapped in cork, distinctly different to the bright, clean gallery, and contains a study and drawing space.
Small as it may be, the project was finely detailed and carefully designed to its smallest element. As a result, it took almost nine years from the barn's purchase to completion. Natural materials, such as stone and timber, were chosen for their functionality and durability, as well as the way they blended naturally within the landscape. As a further gesture of respect towards its pristine setting, the structure is solar-powered and completely off-grid.
INFORMATION
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiencesAesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternativesFrom the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
-
Berlinde De Bruyckere’s angels without faces touch down in Venice churchBelgian artist Berlinde De Bruyckere’s recent archangel sculptures occupy the 16th-century white marble Abbazia di San Giorgio Maggiore for the Venice Biennale 2024
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affairA new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition designThe Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
-
This South Downs house stands as a testament to the value of quiet refinementAt one with the landscape, a South Downs house uses elements of quintessential country villas and midcentury gems with modern technologies
-
Ash Tree House offers a contextual approach to a north London siteAsh Tree House by Edgley Design is a modern family home in a north London conservation area's backyard site
-
In memoriam: John Miller (1930-2024)We remember John Miller, an accomplished British architect and educator who advocated a quiet but rigorous modernism
-
River Wing at Clare College responds to its historic Cambridge heritageUniversity of Cambridge opens its new River Wing on Clare College Old Court, uniting modern technology with historic design
-
Camden Workshop offers flexible family space in a transformed north London warehouseCamden Workshop, a transformed industrial space in north London, was designed by architects McLaren Excell to combine residential space and a creative studio for its owners
-
The Haydon shows off its dramatic stepped volume and triplex penthouseThe Haydon, designed by architects Acme, reveals the triplex penthouse within its dramatic, stepped volume in London’s Aldgate
