Our design wraps the timber structure in a simple glazed façade, worked with a strong grid of glazing bars which reflect the Crittall windows found in the factory buildings across the neighbourhood. This transparent envelope gives the building a sense of depth and makes its structure and internal activity visible from the street.
The site for Black & White Two was previously occupied by a Victorian furniture warehouse, refurbished by us with a light touch in 2014. Referencing the structure of the original building and the old trades of Shoreditch – carpentry, veneer and plywood manufacture – we chose to give its replacement a timber frame, using a combination of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels and glulam beams.