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Originally built in 1968 for the parents of celebrated architect Richard Rogers, the Wimbledon House in southwest London has undergone a renovation. Following a brief from Harvard, the project was led by Philip Gumuchdjian and landscape architect Todd Longstaffe-Gowan.
Rogers donated the single-storey house to the Harvard Graduate School of Design, as an opportunity to ensure the property’s continued use as a residence and a unique environment for research. The building was described by Rogers as a precursor to the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and will now be used to house participants of the Richard Rogers Fellowship. The Wimbledon House stands as a marker of 1960’s modernist architecture in England, characterised by the radical installation of a panoramic window facade, open to the lush green garden surroundings. Gumuchdjian was invited to refurbish and modify the house in a way that captured the original essence of the building, whilst updating the use of materials to more advanced modern alternatives. The interior references the yellow-painted steel structure of the exterior, splashed with citrus coloured furnishings of lemon, orange and lime. With interior partitions removed for layout flexibility and an entire reconstruction of all furnishings and joinery, the Wimbledon House provides a versatile setting for exploring new ventures into architectural and urban research.
