Respecting the locals

Pure Hammersmith

Location London, UK
Status Built
Services Architecture, Interior design
Sector
Residential
Area 17,400m²/187,000ft²
Client Generation Estates, UKSA Hammersmith SARL

Pure Hammersmith, which houses more than 400 students on the former site of the Hammersmith Palais, strikes a deft balance between old and new: it’s confident and contemporary but doesn’t detract from the Grade II-listed buildings on either side. Giving the scheme a distinct sense of character while stitching it into the local conservation area was no mean feat, but we achieved just that, setting a new benchmark for UK student housing in the process.

Our design comprises three buildings set around a central courtyard. Slim vertical windows and brick and stone-trimmed facades give the trio a shared identity, though each building has its own scale and materials reflective of its immediate surroundings. Together the structures provide 418 top-quality studio apartments, each with a bathroom, kitchen, and study and sleep area. The scheme also provides a gym, several communal areas, leisure and retail spaces, an outdoor courtyard, and ample cycle parking.

Students can socialise freely but still have a space to call their own. It’s this interplay between public and private zones, as well as the high quality of the interiors, that sets Pure Hammersmith apart and ensures its viability for years to come.

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A wall displaying the original Art Deco lettering relating to the Hammersmith Palais’ entertainment history has been retained.

The Hammersmith Palais has a fantastic cultural heritage within the Hammersmith Broadway Conservation Area. We’ve designed a scheme that communicates its legacy and stitches the historic street back together.

Paul Simms

Project lead, Make

The student accommodation is spread over three new buildings: one large block set back behind a spacious landscaped courtyard and two smaller blocks facing Shepherd’s Bush Road.

The design of the triple-layer entrance and amenity area was an integral part of the architectural process, and represents the heart of the building.

The distinctive, coherent spaces allow students to relax and socialise in a comfortable and secure environment.

Flowing transitions between intimate and public areas are created through the use of lighting, detailing and colours.

Off-site manufacture was used to deliver the 418 student bedrooms. Each module was prefabricated, with each ‘pod’ installed ready to use, complete with furniture and fittings.

Templates and jigs are being used to duplicate the modules.

The individual units are lined up in the factory while teams of specialist subcontractors work on each one in turn.

The units’ services, fixtures and fittings – including the furniture – were installed in the factory.

Each pod weighs six tonnes and took around 28 days to complete.

The modules were transferred to the site and placed on top of each other by tower crane at a rate of six per day.

The stacked units form the upper section of the building and are supported by the second floor pre-tensioned slab and secured using steelwork cassettes that form corridors between the rooms.