Black Bull Yard

The flats have large wrap-around terraces which offer the opportunity for greening whilst maintaining an element of privacy. Cantilevered balconies, perforated cladding and large oriel windows frame views of the city. The site’s industrial past is referenced through the material selection and details such as the zinc cladding, taps and door handles.

Clerkenwell has been a historic centre for London’s artisan crafts, most notably jewellery, watch-making and the diamond trade. Our concept for the Black Bull Yard scheme has been to evoke the principles of high-quality materials, precision engineering and bespoke design, alongside the patina of the existing buildings.

This concept of old and new continues with the materiality of the apartments, presenting an industrial feel with fixtures and fittings reflective of its prospective inhabitants. Like the architectural design, the new materials being introduced are highly refined, representing the history of the site as a place of bespoke industrial design and fabrication, such as solid milled brass bathroom taps that sit on rough slate grey tiles, providing continuity with the engineering brass cladding sitting alongside the patchwork existing brick façade.

In 2018 the project was shortlisted for the London Evening Standard New Homes Awards in the Best Small Development category and for an FX Interior Design Award.