“Unashamedly contemporary” pavilion designed for Old War Office site in London

image by : Kyungsub Shin

UK architecture studio DaeWha Kang Design has designed a pavilion and courtyard for The OWO hotel at the site of the former Old War Office in Whitehall, London.

The pavilion is located in front of the 1906 Grade II*-listed building, designed by architect William Young, that was once used by the British government’s military departments.

Old war office pavilion and grand courtyard at dusk — *The café pavilion sits in the courtyard of The OWO hotel in London*

“The pavilion is unashamedly contemporary in its styling, but has much of the expressiveness and intricacy that we are accustomed to seeing in heritage architecture,” DaeWha Kang Design told Dezeen.

Mirrored stainless steel roof at old war office in Whitehall — *The circular pavilion is made of glass and stainless steel*

“It was important for the design to enhance rather than compete with the existing historical architecture,” the studio explained.

Old war office courtyard and pavilion London at night — *DaeWha Kang Design intended to find a balance between new and old*

“William Young’s stone facades have a monumental, hard expression that projected Britain’s power as the Old War Office,” said the studio.

Interiors and dining space of Cafe La Perouse pavilion — *Housed inside is a bar and dining area for Parisian restaurant Café Lapérouse*

The interiors, which feature blue chairs and curtains, checkerboard tables and patterned carpets, were designed by Dior Maison creative director Cordelia de Castellane.

Sculptural floral skylight inside pavilion at old war office site — *A sculptural skylight sits at the centre of the pavilion roof*

When selecting materials for the project, practicality and longevity were central to the studio’s approach.

“The mirror roof panels were made using an innovative liquid pressing technique by Fielitz fabrications in Germany, which require moulds on only one side to produce panels, reducing both the materials and energy used for fabrication,” DaeWha Kang Design explained.

“Mirror stainless steel is a very robust and easy-to-maintain material.”

Metal mirror stainless steel roof of pavilion in old war office London — *The pavilion is a prefabricated structure that can be easily assembled and dismantled*

DaeWha Kang Design also created the prefabricated pavilion so that it could be easily dismantled and reassembled if needed.

Pavilion and water fountain by DaeWha Kang Design in Whitehall — *A fountain was incorporated into the design for the courtyard*

“We envisioned the pavilion to have a mirage-like presence with its fluid reflections, and the fountain adds an oasis element to the place,” said the studio.

“In our design, the pool is the yin to the yang of the pavilion. The interplay of real water and reflected metal waves creates a dramatic and dynamic experience”.

Courtyard featuring fountain and pavilion alongside William Young building London — *Existing cobblestones were preserved and reconfigured*

The stones were carefully documented and relaid due to their historical significance.

“The cobbles are the original stones that Winston Churchill walked on every day on the way to work,” explained DaeWha Kang Design.

“At the suggestion of Historic England, we have relaid them in a new pattern that embeds the pavilion and the fountain into a complete composition within the courtyard.”

This article is originally available at www.dezeen.com