Market Mews House / Ampuero Yutronic

Architects: Ampuero Yutronic
Area: 240 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: Felipe Fontecilla
Lead Architects: Ampuero Yutronic: Andy Wakefield, Catalina Yutronic, Javier Ampuero
City: London
Country: United Kingdom

Market Mews House, designed by Ampuero Yutronic, is a newly constructed residence in central London. It replaces a typical post-war building on a modest cobbled street within a local conservation area characterized by luxurious terraced houses and picturesque passages. The design blends seamlessly with the historic residential typologies of the area while providing a tranquil retreat for a couple and their extended family.

Market Mews House is located in the heart of London, replacing a typical post-war building on a quaint cobbled street in a local conservation area known for its luxurious terraced houses and scenic passages. Designed by Ampuero Yutronic, the residence aims to provide a serene retreat from the bustling local area of Mayfair and the city at large.

The house was designed for a couple with a large family, requiring spaces that are comfortable and functional for both intimate living and hosting family and friends. Due to the condition of the existing house and the client’s spatial requirements, the house had to be largely rebuilt. The design retains the existing party walls on three sides, with the street elevation serving as the main visible expression of the new house.

The north-facing facade harmonizes with the surrounding properties, drawing inspiration from the historic residential styles of central London while achieving a distinctive look through minimalist details and refined materials. The elevation is divided into three distinct sections: “base,” “middle,” and “upper.”

The entrance to the ground floor of the house is constructed with large-format “reconstituted limestone” panels, establishing a visually distinct “base” that pays homage to the traditional material commonly found in the area’s historic buildings. This same limestone material is used for the sills, planters, and the top finish of the parapet. The windows, with their white steel frames, are styled to match the typical window designs seen in neighboring residential buildings.

The “middle” section features “Roman” style bricks in a limestone color with lime mortar, nodding to the vernacular language of brick. Deep windows on the first floor accommodate large planters in reconstituted limestone, offering a robust solution that provides vegetation and color to the upper floors.

The “upper” section has a traditional sloping roof set back from the main parapet line, reducing the overall visible volume from the street.

At the rear, a new two-story volume extends from the constraints of the party walls towards the lower floors. Built in varied-colored brick, this addition responds to the eclectic mix of volumes and materials of the surrounding properties on Market Mews and Shepherd Street, bringing more harmony to the overall elevation.

The house is designed to meet specific functional requirements and accommodate the site’s insular nature, resulting in a relatively compact layout. The necessity to “stack” the functional programs created opportunities to explore vertical circulation, functional adjacency, and the use of natural light. Due to the constraints of the party walls, window placement was limited. Therefore, large light wells were incorporated within the internal volumes, utilizing skylights and south-facing windows to illuminate the lower floors.

A recessed portico at the entrance enhances the arrival experience, providing a transition between the street and the reception hall. From this central hall, there is direct access to the library/studio, which is illuminated by a three-story light well at the rear of the house. The upper floor, with its higher floor-to-ceiling height, contains the main open-plan living and dining area, serving as the heart of the house, akin to a traditional ‘piano nobile.’ A large custom-made display cabinet allows views and natural light to filter through to the stairs and kitchen, which is naturally illuminated by a large skylight and views of the main light well.

The sculptural wooden staircase is fully revealed on this floor, complemented by another central light well that floods the house with natural light. This staircase leads to the master bedroom suite on the second floor, which includes a dressing room and a spacious bathroom with a separate stone bathtub. At the rear, the light well illuminates a gallery space, with the staircase continuing to the guest bedrooms and a bathroom on the top floor. In the ground floor reception room, a staircase attached to an exposed concrete wall leads to the basement, which houses a small cinema and a multipurpose room with natural light flowing in from the rear light well.

From the outset, a key goal for the client was to create a calm, clean, bright, and spacious environment that also felt sturdy enough for family living. This was achieved through meticulous space planning, maximizing natural light, and a carefully selected palette of natural materials. The predominant use of wood, stone, and polished marble plaster, combined with simple details, contributed to the home’s reserved elegance and serene atmosphere.