Sol de Arcilla

Sol de Arcilla (Clay Sun) is a deep retrofit and refurbishment of an apartment in Gibson Gardens, Stoke Newington, London.

Originally built by the Metropolitan Association for Improving the Dwellings of the Industrious Classes, Gibson Gardens is tenement housing opposite one of the ‘Magnificent Seven’ cemeteries of London; Abney Park. Inspired by clay - what Gibson Gardens were built with on - the concept for the renovation was to bring the warmth of the London stock and red brick visible through the kitchen window back into the apartment itself. Through the introduction of warm pigmented natural clay plaster finishes, contemporary details compliment an industrial material palette suitable for the building. Terrazzo floor tiles containing recycled brick and slate aggregate from demolished Victorian terraced housing used in the kitchen and bathroom compliment a clay plaster Mondrian-inspired wall and a clay sun that continuously shines, creating a vibrant backdrop for a peaceful life in the gardens.