House of Illustration

After a decade operating as a start-up, in rented offices and borrowed venues, the House of Illustration took a lease on a Victorian office building in Kings Cross, where we were entrusted with building their first permanent home. To provide the appropriate scale, light and security for this most intimate of art-forms, we built new freestanding rooms in wood and plaster within the grand ground floor spaces. The galleries are linked at the corners through deep joinery frames, allowing curators to build contrasting atmospheres in different spaces. The daylight from the large windows filters softly into the galleries through openings in the new ceilings, and can be varied through large shutters. It’s a discreet backdrop to the works, but is distinctive, too: a little bit Alice Through the Looking Glass, enjoyably distorted, shifting from large to small and back again.

The project was delivered within six months of our appointment, on a limited budget. We worked closely with the director and curator to meet their priorities and ensure that the House of Illustration launched smoothly and with maximum impact. Through its simple and versatile design, and its energetic occupants, this house buzzes with vivid exhibitions, events and education work.