80 Great Eastern Street
Scott Kyson - United Kingdom

Scott Kyson Biography

Scott Kyson established his London practice Kyson in 2004.
Before moving to London, he began his career working and studying for an apprenticeship in architecture - learning the traditional art of drawing and the skill of detailing. During this period a foundation of rigour, proportion and rationale would be laid that would eventually underpin his passion for design.

Having spent extensive periods in the far-East, Scott has developed an affection for the deep-rooted relationships between traditional, vernacular architecture and culture; in particular the connections between people, rituals and nature that are played out on ethereal backdrops of light, shadow and materials.

This cultural experience combined with his passion for contextual design and schooling in proportion formed the idiom for his practice. Even today, the themes continue to resonate through his projects; with his architecture providing dramatic stages for everyday life in varying backdrops from gritty urban residential to bespoke and restrained, high-end opulence.

His passion for architecture, alongside an understanding of market conditions has also ensured that his role runs far beyond the traditional sense; from pre-conception consultancy to an active role in the development and progression of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists.

Scott's works have received critical acclaim and have been extensively published in leading architectural publications.

80 Great Eastern Street

Situated in South Shoreditch, an area historically renowned for being the heart of the textile and furniture industries, 80 Great Eastern Street is an example of careful restoration, refinement and a restrained modern extension. Built in 1882-1884 as three warehouse showrooms, 80 Great Eastern Street originally featured large open-plan factory floors for its furniture business. More recently, however, it had been used as offices, with the lofty internal spaces carved into cellular units.

Kyson’s response was to remove the accumulation of modern partitioning, revealing the original cast iron columns and the internal brickwork, whilst the tinted windows were replaced with frameless glass and a publicly accessible street frontage re-instated by lowering the entire ground floor slab.

At roof level, a double-storey modern penthouse pavilion is added to the Victorian warehouse. Clad in striking black Douglas fir boards, set discreetly back from the front parapet, it exists in stark contrast to the restored brickwork of its host building. A narrow, double-height corridor slices through the middle

of the two-storey extension, with a narrow glazing strip allowing sun-rays to spill down the tall white walls during the day. At night, hair-line strips of LED lighting accentuate the diminishing perspective of the space.

In the design of the flats, as in the refurbishment, a simple palette of colour – predominantly black and white - and materials – timber and glass – is employed to create a pure effect. Large flush structural glass fixed windows and glazing over the stairs has been employed to ensure the apartments benefit from plenty of daylight and spectacular urban views. 

The £6m project, recently visited by Prince Andrew the Duke of York, has created a welcome mix of uses attracting global companies such as Microsoft’s YAMMER and appropriately, the British furniture designer and manufacturer NAUGHTONE.