David Chipperfield Architects has teamed up with Karakusevic Carson Architects to create a pair of matching, hexagonal housing towers on an estate in east London.
Hoxton Press is a pair of two residential towers on the Colville Estate in Hackney. One is 16 storeys high and built using red brick, while the other is 20 storeys and constructed from a darker grey brick.
Photo is by Simon MengesThe project forms part of Karakusevic Carson's redevelopment of the entire Colville Estate – a three-phase project that will see the 1950s-built, 438-home council estate replaced with 925 new residences, along with improved community facilities and public spaces.
Hoxton Press contains a total of 198 homes, which are being sold privately to help fund the cost of new affordable homes elsewhere on the estate. This means the estate now accommodates a real mix of long-term residents, new council tenants and private buyers. What is particularly unusual about the scheme is that turns the old model – which saw council tenants occupying tower blocks – on its head.
Photo is by Simon MengesBoth towers are hexagonal in plan, with balconies wrapping their corners. They are orientated to minimise the impact on the surroundings.
"At 16 and 20 storeys, they are not the most elegant of profiles, but by faceting them you get slimmer proportions," explained Paul Karakusevic, director of Karakusevic Carson, during a tour of the building.
"The idea is that ther...