by Terri Peters

In central London, a renovation by Make Architects gives a radical new aesthetic and improved energy efficiency to an unremarkable 1960s apartment building.

The basic project outline for 10 Weymouth Street might not seem glamorous — upgrading a concrete-framed postwar housing block, with an addition overlooking the mews — but in the hands of Make, the results are golden.

Brassy

Facing the busy street, in a conservation area that includes the nearby RIBA Headquarters, 10 Weymouth Street's minimal brown-brick facade has changed only slightly, with new aluminum-framed, double-glazed windows, a refurbished entrance with improved access, and a set-back rooftop addition barely visible from the street.

But as a visitor discovers upon entering through a gap in the street front, the alley facade has been transformed with dramatic, gold-colored brass cladding and new balconies protruding as perforated, cantilevering rooms. From this secret view in the shared mews, the building looks like it has been dipped in gold.

The architects chose brass because each panel will patinate differently. For maximum effect, they varied the ratio of copper to zinc in the alloy to achieve colors ranging from golden yellow at the rear of the building to a russet brown on the new upper levels glimpsed from Weymouth Street.   >>>

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SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE Make Architects designed a recent expansion and renovation of 10 Weymouth Street, a 1960s residential building in London, England. Photo: Zander Olsen/ Make Architects Extra Large Image SUBSCRIPTION SAMPLE The addition to 10 Weymouth Street extended the building to the rear, adding more windows and new balconies overlooking Bridford Mews. Photo: Zander Olsen/ Make Architects Extra Large Image   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.