3 minute read
Cannon Lane
HAMPSTEAD, NW3
Set in a quiet conservation area in the heart of London’s Hampstead Village is a contemporary minimalist home designed by world-famous architect Claudio Silvestrin. Silvestrin is renowned for his work with Armani and previous collaborations with Kanye West, Calvin Klein, and Anish Kapoor.
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Five Cannon Lane is arranged over five floors with five bedrooms, five bathrooms, a spa area and an indoor pool. Not only was the home designed by an incredible architect, but it also features a private terraced garden designed by the Chelsea Flower Show gold medallist, Chris Beardshaw.
Cannon Lane is a picturesque and exceptionally quiet road, only minutes from Hampstead Village and Hampstead Heath. The charm of the ‘village in the city’ has made this enclave of London a highly desirable location that attracts many high profile and discerning individuals.
Before the site was purchased in 2007, it was inhabited by an unremarkable house designed in the 1970s. It was small and failed to maximise the location of the plot or the views. A plot of this scale in London without a listed property on it is very rare and therefore required an exceptional property. International architect Claudio Silvestrin was appointed, renowned for his work with Armani and previous collaborations with Kanye West, Calvin Klein and Anish Kapoor. The first planning grant for the new home was issued in September 2010.
Silvestrin designed a contemporary home that was unique and delivered a wow factor to the plot whilst maximising the proportions of the topography of Cannon Lane. After numerous iterations of the design, a final blueprint was agreed and approved by the local authority in June 2013. Silvestrin not only designed the house, but also the interiors, ensuring a continuity of style throughout with incredible attention to detail. The simple, unassuming brick exterior of Five Cannon Lane conceals the true scale and cathedral-like proportions of the property while remaining consistent
with the style of the property’s interior. Once through the front entrance, standing in the modest minimalist hall, the house begins to reveal itself. The gentle sound of running water guides you through the hall and towards the far-off sound of more ebullient water down a seemingly never-ending flight of stairs, that curve and disappear into the distance. The space starts to unfold, revealing immediately that the interior style is both calm and elegant, yet lavish, with minimalist lines and a carefully curated pallet of earth and natural tones. The key materials used throughout that make up the earth through to ochre colour palette, are porphyry stone, from the Italian Dolomites, oxidized brass and bronze and oak. These materials are used throughout the house, in every area, with almost £1 million spent on the stone alone. The calm and warm yellow ochre of the porphyry stone unites with the warm natural oak floors and oxidized metal detailing to create a unique and pleasing environment. The absence of unnecessary ornamentation adds to the aura of a tranquil oasis away from the city streets.
In creating such a unique residence, the developers ensured that the outside space was used effectively and in such a way that it complimented the design and layout of the house.
is one of calm and serenity; it’s almost a meditative space. To achieve this simplicity,
technology is mostly hidden and there is no ornamentation of any kind. However, there is drama – the 42-step stone staircase that
leads down to the pool and spa which recalls an ancient site, for example.’
