Mason & Fifth Westbourne Park is a new mixed-use development which transforms a brownfield site that was formerly home to the Licenced Taxi Drivers’ Association Headquarters, into a vibrant new waterfront destination along the Grand Union Canal. The scheme aims to attract a new community of young creatives, entrepreneurs, artists, and professionals to West London.
The project is formed of a family of buildings of varying scales, wrapped around an urban courtyard that opens up on to the canal, desined by AHMM,. A new 332-key flexible living development with interiors designed by TiggColl anchors the scheme and includes an extensive amenity offering of social and work lounges, a communal dining space, listening lounge, screening room, and a wellness suite with a swimming pool, gym and movement studio. The scheme also provides amenities for the wider community, including co-working, affordable workspaces, a waterfront restaurant, and improvements to the public realm.
AHMM employed a contextually sensitive approach for the architectural design. While the development rises to 12 storeys at the centre, it steps down to four and five storeys to meet the adjacent buildings. The new architecture is stitched into the existing urban landscape and responds to the area’s historical architecture and local vernacular through façade proportions, Crittall windows, and a varied material palette of brick, steel, and glazed green terracotta that reflects the faience found on nearby industrial and heritage buildings.
At the heart of the development a new pocket park has been created. Access to this urban courtyard is via a new public route from the residential street, through an archway with a reflective soffit which creates a visual reference to the adjacent canal, and opens up to the waterfront on Grand Union Canal. This space has been designed to benefit the local community, with activation at ground level and a tiered public area that can be used for performances and leisure activities.
Interior architect TiggColl’s design concept takes inspiration from the vibrant local area and its rich mix of neighbourhoods including Notting Hill, Ladbroke Grove, Portobello Road and Golborne Road. A material palette of undulating fabrics, muted lighting, textured tiles, natural wood, clay and marble reflects the eclectic urban landscape, and fosters a desirable ‘home from home’ experience for new and returning guests.
Layered textures in rich natural tones create a warm and inviting entrance lounge, with a rippling fabric canopy which weaves across the ceiling to create a sense of intimacy in the open plan reception space. Warm timber floors and a bespoke marble reception desk ground the space with an aspirational yet comfortable feel. Exposed concrete columns, soft layered lighting, and indoor foliage set the scene for this urban oasis.
On the tenth floor, a residents’ lounge looks directly on to the canal, and forms part of a 360 degree amenity space incorporating a shared kitchen and dining areas. A lowered timber and fabric textured ceiling creates an intimate space from which to admire the panoramic views of London, creating an elevated haven looking back over the city.
On the lower ground floor, a tranquil spa and wellness hub features curving, fluid lines to echo the movement of the canal outside. The combination of light porcelain and cool polished marble contrasts with deep green tiles and a wall of patinated mirrors. Large circular sky lights draw natural light into this lower ground space, while the swimming pool captures and reflects the light.
Rachel Coll, Founding Director at TiggColl, said: “Our aim was to capture the contrasting landscapes of the Westway’s industrial concrete canopy and the fluidity of the Grand Union Canal, and to create a design dialogue that bridges the area’s past, present, and future, allowing Mason & Fifth Westbourne Park to become a part of this location’s evolving story.”
Hazel Joseph, Director at AHMM, said: “Redeveloping this site has created a unique place in the city, where people can come together and build a community. Our approach is informed by the local area, and the site’s unique character, where the city’s intensive use intersects with nature, from the creation of repaired frontages to the north using contextual forms and materials, to the unexpected yet dynamic urban courtyard at the heart of the scheme which opens up to the south and connects the development to the waterfront.”
Claire McPoland, Design Director of Mason & Fifth, said: “At Mason & Fifth our projects are built around a lifestyle first philosophy, where design, curation and community are intertwined to create spaces which inspire and connect. The interiors at Westbourne Park feature pieces from over 30 independent local brands and creatives, layering craft and handmade objects into each and every space.”
www.tiggcoll.com | IG: @tigg_coll
