architectural wonder

TO ROUND OFF ALL THE FORWARD-LOOKING DESIGN IN THIS ISSUE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT A BOLD NEW RESIDENCE THAT’S QUIETLY RESHAPING ITS EAST LONDON LOCATION

ROUND THE BLOCK

This rounded brick house in Hoxton, unlike anything before it, looks like it ought to be surrounded by water, like a cross between a ship and a castle. The fantastic design, by architect Sam Jacob, channels a multitude of references, chiefly those of Konstantin Melnikov, whose avant-garde style (imaginative buildings with geometric cut-outs) shaped early-20th-century Soviet architecture. Built atop the remnants of a former pub, the new home is all odds and ends: circular and diamond windows that beckon like crown jewels, top-floor cylinders that rise like a ship’s smokestack, exterior brick walls that curve and spare interiors that swerve. The house even belies a ground-floor playschool, which feels right at home in such playful surrounds. Is it a novelty for all ages? Time will tell. For now, it’s an eccentric reset for east London architecture. samjacob.com