First Look: Mangera Yvars Architects

Architect’s park building is second phase of wider Avondale improvement plan

Mangera Yvars Architects has received planning permission for a new amenity building at Avondale Park in Notting Hill, for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. The scheme is the second phase of the broader Avondale Park improvement plan and the building will replace the existing run-down amenity building.

The project, which was won in a design competition at the end of 2010, incorporates changing facilities for the Avondale recreation ground along with public toilets, a kiosk, staff accommodation and a sheltered picnic area.

The building is organised as a set of four independent cones, with each cone accommodating a distinct function and connected by an over-sailing roof. The conical forms are inspired by the historic kilns and potteries that Avondale and Notting Hill are famous for.

“The layout of the cones provides porosity and spatial ambiguity between interior and exterior space, in a similar way to more traditional park pavilions,” says the architect. The playful arrangement also engages with the nearby children’s picnic area by creating spaces that encourage movement around and in between the building.

The cones are clad in curving planks of western red cedar, which will be treated to give a spiral whirling effect on their elevations. The structure is a steel frame, developed with repetition and prefabrication in mind.

The scheme is also highly sustainable and incorporates a ground source heat pump, photovoltaic cells and circular green roof discs.

The project is expected to go on site later this year.