ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV

Lowther Children’s Centre, London submitted by Lakehouse

Patel Taylor’s small and simple pavilion is a spirited and joyous addition to an existing, much larger school. Yet despite its size it never tries to adopt the appearance or configuration of an extension. This is rigorously defined as a new building with an independent character of its own. Clad in white render and comprising clean lines,
full-height glazing and strident horizontal massing, it immediately distinguishes itself from the brickwork of its older neighbour by skilfully recalling the simplicity of early modernism. Its continuous, mono-pitch roof with its dramatic overhangs and slender profile are all strong yet remarkably graceful features that also provide an unmistakably contemporary feel. The building even deploys the mischievous spirit appropriate to its function by spelling out its name in oversized wooden letters beside the entrance -
all of which are dramatically submerged under a thrusting horizontal canopy. Lakehouse is a powerful yet elegant building.

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