Set in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, and wedged into a parking space on the corner of Hill Street and Exchange Place, the brief was to provide a working space for a client of interest to us. A studio and gallery space for a photographer was decided upon.

With two elements; an open public gallery with seating and the use of defused light formed the basis of this project. The notion of having a gallery space without doors, so that people would feel relaxed enough to walk through, or just sit and have their lunch became significant. By stepping the building away from its neighbour, natural light was able to penetrate the otherwise dark space below.

Defused light within the studio spaces was achieved by the use of concrete and frosted glass walls, which sat at different wall lines, but always parallel, preventing any direct light from penetrating the core interior. Impact on the westerly neighbour, who has windows looking directly onto the site, was minimized by the sloping the roof to allow them as much light as possible, while still maintaining a sense of height in the studio space.