A luxury residential developer has created 28 boutique apartments alongside three boutique townhouses in central London. This project is situated within the historic Birdcage Road Nature Reserve in Westminster. VI Castle Lane is just minutes away from Buckingham Palace, London Royal Park, and Westminster Abbey.
VI Castle Lane draws inspiration from the classic arched window elements commonly found in British architecture, reimagining them with modern and innovative techniques. Integrating contemporary design within a highly protected historic district is challenging. From apartments to townhouses, the project employs curved facades to soften the complex massing and urban scale. The prominent horizontal, outward-curving glass walls envelop the block, enhancing the living experience and visually expanding the interiors.
This project was commissioned by the real estate investment firm Lansek and led by Sons & Co. It was designed collaboratively by Michel da Costa Gonçalves and Nathalie Rozencwajg from DROO Design Studio. Faced with a site bordered by two distinct neighborhood styles, DROO crafted a building that respects the neighborhood’s continuity while emphasizing its unique architectural character.
The site’s uniqueness lies in its positioning between two contrasting urban forms: traditional London row houses to the west and grand Victorian mansions to the east. Additionally, the accumulation of historical regulations and constraints has resulted in highly intricate and refined architecture. The central apartment-sized building is harmoniously combined with row houses that have been reinterpreted to fit the local scale and context.
The contrast in scale between the row houses and taller apartments is resolved by blending concave and convex curved glass volumes. This approach also aligns with local planning regulations while creating a new spatial experience. Traditional arched windows feature prominently along the exterior facade, maintaining a dialogue with historic architectural language.
Designer Michel explained that the exterior design integrates numerous surrounding architectural elements, such as arched windows and brick and stone structures. This led to an asymmetrical design characterized by horizontal expansion of the facade. The innovative arched windows transition from flat surfaces to tightly curved glass, enhancing visual impact inside and out. Bow-shaped windows elegantly extend from the building, enlarging interior spaces and creating a floating spatial experience that blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors, while offering views of various urban landscapes.
Roof plan
Project Details:
Architectural Firm: DROO
Location: London, United Kingdom
Category: Residential Apartments
Lead Architects: Michel da Costa Gonçalves, Nathalie Rozencwajg
Building Area: 4600 m²
Year of Completion: 2017
Photography: NAARO
Manufacturers: McNeel, Ibstock, Cricursa, Autodesk
Client: Land Securities and Sons & Co
Interior Architect: Daniel (BIM Training) Goldberg Designs
MEP Consultants: CHAPMAN BATHURST
Structural Engineer: Parmarbrook
Quantity Surveyor: McBains Cooper
Planning Consultant: Gerald Eve
Facade Consultant: Arup Facades
Role & Party Walls: Deloitte Real Estate
CDM Coordinator: Schal
Acoustic Consultant: Aad
Fire Protection Design: BuroHappold
Inclusive Design: BuroHappold
Public Relations: Cascade
Transportation Consultant: Momentum Transport
Environmental Consulting: Waterman Group
Landscape Design: Hyland Edgar Driver
BIM Research & Training: Plowman Craven
Rendering: Miller Hare
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