Duggan Morris Architects

Harbour Design Centre Expansion . Chelsea

Duggan Morris Architects . + e-architect

Duggan Morris Architects were appointed by Chelsea Harbour Limited in 2004 to develop proposals for the extension of the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour SW10, located within the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

The Design Centre is currently the focus of excellence for the interior design industry in Europe, being home to over 80 showrooms and 120 brands. The core to the Client’s brief is to enhance the Design Centre’s position to create the number one destination for the Interior design industry for the home, hotel and office.

In order to achieve this, the scheme seeks to extend the range of current facilities and in so doing create a stronger identity to match more closely the aspirations of both Client and tenants. This is facilitated through the re-dress of the external face of the existing buildings ensuring that these can be positively linked to create a greater sense of connectivity both horizontally and vertically between Design Centre, as the hub, and two adjacent buildings; the Chambers Building and the Harbour Yard Building.

It is also important that the activity within is expressed more effectively to the wider community, and the wrapped facade is articulated by a decorative motif reminiscent of fine fabric patterns and weaves, and which folds and sways sculpturally punctuating entrances. The skin also shifts in tonality thus capturing and framing views to activity within, where appropriate, or peeling away to a fine woven mesh where it hangs as a light weight skin.