From the Series
The Elektra House, designed by David Adjaye, adds a dramatically dark presence in the neighbourhood best known as the haunt of Jack the Ripper.
Designed for Elizabeth Wright and Giorgio Sadotti, Elektra House functions as both the studio and home for these two well-known artists and their children.
What once was a shoe factory has been redesigned into a modern inexpensive three-bedroom structure hidden by a dark coloured front and façade. The windowless appearance from the street is contrasted by the interior design of the house. Suffused with plenty of light due to the south elevation made entirely out of glass, Adjaye took into account the identity of the inhabitants and ensured enough light for the artists to live and work.
However modern the building might appear, it is nevertheless sensitive to its urban context. The façade is made out of rust-colour timber panels, which echoes the redbrick townhouses lining the street.
