197 High Street Kensington Completed Buildings – Mixed Use

197KHS was conceived as a substantial, heavyweight building to anchor the end of a historic terrace on this small but prominent corner site. Red brick was identified as the appropriate material choice due to the wealth of historic brick buildings in the conservation area to the south, using a loadbearing form of construction to give the building a solid, authentic quality. A series of deep piers are positioned at regular intervals along the two street-facing facades, with a stepped profile that forms a shoulder to support the sculpted and pigmented pre-cast lintels. To create additional texture and richness, bricks were laid in Flemish bond with lime mortar which has a more granular appearance than the cementitious equivalent. Lustrous, amber-brown glazed bricks were used to construct the piers at the ground floor of the building. Along with double width feature lintels, these form a clearly defined base that supports the upper floors, and provides visual interest at street level. The articulation of the piers and the scalloped faces of the lintels combine to give depth and modulation to the facades, especially when viewed obliquely along the street. Looking upwards, the building meets the sky with an undulating line given by the scalloped copings at roof level.