A Visionary Space by Fredrikson Stallard

The building itself has a rich past. Originally a Victorian workshop that manufactured wheels for carriages, the property still carries a distinctly Dickensian character, from its muscular brick fabric to its sense of being quietly tucked away from modern London. Clerkenwell is widely cited as part of the landscape that is said to have inspired Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, and that history still lingers in the area’s lanes and former workshops. Today, that heritage has been reinterpreted into a deeply atmospheric private space that balances old London soul with contemporary design.

The property is approached via a long, covered courtyard that was once a Georgian street, later enclosed by the Victorians during the construction of Holborn Viaduct. The outline of the original windows is still visible along the walls, a quiet reminder of the building’s past life.

The entire ground floor is dedicated to creativity and exhibition, anchored by a dramatic double-height gallery where steel, brick, and polished concrete form a striking architectural backdrop. The entrance is a long, immersive corridor, which draws visitors through the building like a private exhibition, revealing sculptural works and carefully orchestrated moments throughout. The rear section of the ground floor is flooded with light from a private Japanese styled Courtyard garden, finished with Italian Travertine with fountains.

Alongside the gallery sits a fully equipped ceramics studio, as well as a sequence of flexible workspaces that can function as design studios, offices, or exhibition rooms. A further area, accessed via its own private entrance, adds another layer of independence, making it ideal as a private space, or an ancillary gallery space, and gives the entire property the feel of an intimate creative campus.

Upstairs, the building softens into a more domestic feel with solid oak parquet floors throughout. The kitchen, defined by dusky marble and bespoke cabinetry, opens into generous dining and seating areas framed by elegant crittall windows and doors. Throughout, patinated finishes, handcrafted ceramics and carefully chosen artwork replace ornament with atmosphere, ensuring the space feels deeply personal rather than overtly styled. The Bathrooms are also finished with solid marble and hand finished patinated steel cabinetry throughout.

The design of the principal rooms is intentionally pared back, allowing the architecture itself to take centre stage. Filtered daylight, tactile surfaces and restrained detailing reflect the duo’s meticulous design language and commitment to material honesty.

Beyond the principal rooms lies one of the property’s most unexpected moments: a private garden that reads more like a land art installation than a traditional city plot. Planted with 200 silver birch trees, it forms a secluded outdoor room in the middle of London and was a finalist for BBC Gardeners’ World Garden of the Year. The effect is immersive and quietly theatrical, offering a rare sense of escape in such a central location.

Despite its seclusion, the building sits at the heart of Clerkenwell’s cultural ecosystem, moments from Exmouth Market, Sadler’s Wells Theatre and Spa Fields Park, with fast connectivity via Farringdon and the Elizabeth Line with direct connections to Heathrow and Gatwick airports. It is a property rooted in London’s industrial past but designed for an international creative life.