Egg 时尚精品店主寓所设计丨英国伦敦

This project is part of the ongoing re-configuration of a series of buildings centred around a mews in Knightsbridge, for the London-based fashion boutique Egg.

The most recently completed phase is the refurbishment and alteration of one house in the mews to create a new pied-á- terre for Egg’s owner and to provide a much needed expan- sion of the back-of-house facilities for the adjacent shop.

Inspired by the essentialism and pared-back minimalism of the Egg boutique and by the informal character of the mews and the shop, we have inserted a series of containers within the first floor of the building to accommodate domestic and commercial functions. These boxes sit within the volume of the roof and create the nest-like atmosphere of an attic or store room.

On the ground floor the project includes a bespoke wooden bath supplied by Studio Anna van der Lei set within a bath- room that opens to the mews and that doubles as a meeting room for the Egg team.

Located along a hidden mews in Knightsbridge, Egg a fashion boutique regarded for its minimalist approach to the clothes it stocks and the way they are presented to the buyer, acting more like a gallery than a traditional shop. Hidden by timber shutters that open up to reveal plain white and wooden interiors, the intervention serves as a new home for the boutique’s owner and an expansion of the back-of-house facilities for the adjacent shop.

The arrangement of internal spaces and the materials selected were inspired by Egg’s pared-back design character, defined as both elegant and informal. A series of timber containers have been inserted into the existing building, dividing domestic and commercial functions and occassionally blending the two. These boxes sit within the volume of the roof and create the nest-like atmosphere of an attic or store room, with skylights allowing light to filter downwards into the spaces below. Small openings create surprising views through to adjacent rooms and a timber staircase is made up of a series of planks suspended above the hallway.

Interior walls remain unadorned, and materials are bared in an honest and robust display. Objects of furniture are minimalised, further emphasising a halcyon disposition and creating a collection of tranquil spaces for occupation. Built-in storage cupboards hide the clutter of everyday life and blend into the walls when closed. The Japanese concept of unburdening and recuperating of the spirit through the process of cleansing transcends into the character of the bathroom, where a bespoke wooden bath crafted by Studio Anna van der Lei sits behind doors that open onto the mews, and the sound

of water trickling through the bending copper pipes is a moment of serenity behind the bustling main street.

It has been a joy to work on this home and shop for Egg and we’ve enjoyed the ambiguities of the two-sided brief for this live-work space. We have sought to carefully enhance the identity of the boutique while bestowing a distinct character and atmosphere for the new residence in the attic space above the shop.