Colville Massif - typical post-war public housing, but in a very privileged location: next to the City of London, on the banks of Regent's Canal and on the edge of Shoreditch Park. This arrangement made gentrification inevitable in its reconstruction. Despite assurances from the Hockney County Council, developers and architects that all residents will remain in the same location, the renovation is clearly an attempt to save money on the previous residents, freeing up space and funds for commercial development, or forcing them to pay extra for apartments in the old location (more on the situation in Colville can be read here and here).
However, "honest" commercial housing has also appeared there, helping to pay for the construction of a number of new houses for former residents. The architects of the two towers of Hoxton Press were the authors of the masterplan and the main stages of the reconstruction of Colville Karakusevic Carson and David Chipperfield, who was invited by them to collaborate.
The originality of the approach here lies in the fact that architects lodge wealthy buyers in towers that resemble unpopular post-war public housing, and Colville's reconstruction itself consists of low and mid-rise buildings, which are considered more prestigious today. This decision made it possible to maintain the same density while increasing the number of apartments from 432 to 925.
The hexagonal shape and thoughtful placement on the site avoided direct window-to-window perspectives, shading of the neighboring tower and surrounding low-rise buildings, and also provided panoramic views of London from the balconies that almost all apartments received.
On a typical floor there are six apartments, each covering a corner and half of the adjacent façade edges. Outside there are bedrooms and common rooms that need sunlight, deeper - kitchens, hallways and bathrooms. Elevators, stairs and communications are placed in the center. The typical floor is made up of one and two bedroom apartments, with three bedrooms on the upper tiers and spacious terraces. There are 198 apartments in the towers.
The Hoxton Press served as a gateway to the renovated Colville from the park side, so their appearance was especially important - both when viewed from a distance and at ground level. For the facades, they chose a handmade brick made of the same clay: once fired and therefore red - in the case of a 16-story tower and twice fired and thus turned dark gray - in a 20-story tower. The balconies are also covered with bricks, including the inner surface of the fences and ceilings, as well as the lobbies.
On the ground floors there are cafes for all residents of the array, an entrance to the underground garage, a reception desk, etc. The floor there is paved with granite paving stones, as is the space around the towers, and the artificial hill, invented by the Swiss landscape architects Vogt, partially penetrates into the cafe, which has already raised the question: will it be possible to arrange tables and chairs there?
