Michael Craig-Martin Studio
Highgate Road, London NW5

SOLD

Designer: John Pawson

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Designed by the world-renowned Minimalist designer John Pawson, this live/work house is a hidden gem. Believed to occupy a former brewery for the adjacent pub, The Vine, the building was converted in c.1986 as a studio for the esteemed artist Michael Craig-Martin. It is now in need of cosmetic updating.

Internal accommodation measures approximately 1,302 sq ft over two floors. On the raised ground floor is a spectacular 34ft double-height reception room / studio with an original vaulted ceiling. The lower ground floor contains a kitchen area, large double bedroom, dressing area, shower room and extensive amounts of storage. This floor offers scope for reconfiguration, with enough space for a second bedroom if required. There is also a small gravelled garden at the front of the property.

The house is one of John Pawson’s earliest works, dating from the period when he was in practice with Claudio Silvestrin. It is little-known and has never been published. The property has many of the hallmarks of Pawson’s architecture, including white walls with shadow gaps, bespoke joinery, and a masterful manipulation of natural light. It also has some unusual spatial features: the staircase is highly sculptural but very steep; the kitchen area is located at the foot of the staircase; and the shower room is open-plan.

Having been used as a working studio for many years, the property is in need of modernisation: some of the cupboards require refitting, the timber floors are scuffed and need sanding, and the interior requires redecoration. However, the sheer volume of space and outstanding provenance make this house a rare proposition.

The property is located at the northern end of Kentish Town, within a short walk of Parliament Hill Fields and Hampstead Heath. There is a small group of shops nearby, including a local grocer and a pharmacy, and further facilities on Kentish Town Road, including the Underground station (Northern Line). Highgate Studios, which has a gym and a Pizza East restaurant, is just across the road. There are some excellent schools in the area, including Eleanor Palmer Primary School.

John Pawson is the foremost proponent of Minimalism in architecture. His best-known projects include the elegantly austere Calvin Klein store in New York, the breathtaking Novy Dvur Monastery in the Czech Republic, and numerous private residences for clients including Martha Stewart and Bruce Chatwin.

Michael Craig-Martin is a Dublin-born conceptual artist and painter, known in particular for his stylised and brightly coloured canvases of everyday household objects. He is Emeritus Professor of Fine Art at Goldsmiths, where he was influential in fostering the Young British Artists that emerged from the school in the 1980s, including Damien Hirst.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.



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