At London's Brown Hart Gardens, an unusual public space is reborn
Brown Hart Gardens, an open space on top of a listed electricity substation, has been restored to its former glory, while being brought into the 21st century by a team including architects Studio Ageli
Few lesser-known corners remain in central London, but Brown Hart Gardens is one of them. The relatively pocket-sized, raised open space sits, rather unusually, atop an electricity substation on Duke Street, just a stone's throw from Oxford Street. It was first opened in 1906, but has been closed off to the public on and off since – until now, as the much-loved Mayfair garden reopens to a new design by Studio Ageli.
Tour the refreshed Brown Hart Gardens in London
The project, led by practice founder Mohammed Ageli, included a new pavilion restaurant, a paved terrace and landscaped gardens next to the art deco Beaumont Mayfair hotel nearby. The redesign sits within The Grosvenor Estate and was done on behalf of the hotel to improve the local urban fabric and add a sense of greenery and lightness to the previously underused space above the Grade II-listed piece of infrastructure.
It was not all about throwing out the old and replacing everything. About 75 per cent of the main structure of the existing pavilion, as well as its primary roof were retained. Meanwhile, auxiliary structures that had been added over the years were removed to clear the space, and the original Portland stone was highlighted and maintained.
'Our starting point was the garden, rather than the pavilion in isolation. We wanted to explore how a lighter, more open intervention could improve the relationship between the two, so that the building and garden work in harmony and become a useful asset for the wider community. For Studio Ageli, the project returns to the premise on which Brown Hart Gardens was founded: that even within one of London's densest and most valuable neighbourhoods, space can be set aside for collective life. More than a century later, Studio Ageli's project seeks to reinforce that original relationship between architecture, amenity and community,' said Ageli.
He continues: 'The building acts as a new focal point and anchor for the space, grounding the garden and public square, providing depth and also completing the composition. It has a distinct identity, but sits within the garden rather than competes with it. The garden is the larger civic space here, and the pavilion’s role is to support its use, bringing activity and a sense of occupation while retaining the openness and public character of Brown Hart Gardens.'
The architects worked closely with specialists such as the late landscape architect and horticulturalist Nigel Dunnett and Landscape Agency, and the project was delivered by Landform. Now, inside the pavilion, Pearl Mayfair, a restaurant connected to The Beaumont Mayfair hotel, is up and running, featuring interiors by EPR Architect.
