House of Books by SHH Architects
The remodelling of the ‘House of Books’ in Hampstead, the former home of Labour leader Michael Foot, who was known for covering almost every inch of the property in books. True to the spirit of the house, the new owners are also bibliophiles (owning over 100 linear metres of books) and the property has now been completely reconfigured (including new floors, walls, stairs and rear extension in cedar wood and zinc), ensuring that books remain a central feature, with an aluminium, two-sided bookcase forming a spine around which all five storeys of a spectacular new stair (made of individual steel trays dipped in orange liquid rubber and bolted over individual cantilevered steel hoops) are wrapped. The bookcase also sits within the new steel frame of the house, with all new structural elements bespoke-designed by SHH as part of the project.
Photos courtesy of SHH Architects & Alastair Lever
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