London & South East Premier Construction

Cabinet Gallery

Cabinet Gallery
Written by Roma Publications

New Home for Cabinet Gallery

Cabinet Gallery

In 2016, Cabinet Gallery moved to a new building on Tyers Street in the heart of Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, London. The building is the first purpose-built building for Cabinet Gallery, which was founded in Brixton in 1991 and was previously operating from premises in the City’s Old Street area.

Work on the development was undertaken by Trevor Horne Architects and contractors Quinn (London) Limited with work starting on the scheme in 2010.

Speaking to Premier Construction magazine, Aaron Down, Project Architect at Trevor Horne Architects, said: “It was an interesting project because the building is completely free standing, which in London is a rare thing. There are no party walls and no neighbours, other than the park and a small city farm, so it was a really unique project. For the building we took inspiration from the pavilions that originally sat on the site as part of the Victorian Pleasure Gardens. The original pavilions where a similar shape to the new gallery so that was the starting point for the design.”

The 12-sided building is set over six floors. The gallery is located on three floors, two floors are apartments and there is an events space that the gallery can use for book launches and events needing extra space.

Trevor Horne Architects worked alongside the client and three of the artists that Cabinet represent to develop the design of the building. The artists helped to create the window design, balcony cladding and a window into the gallery.

Aaron commented: “Ultimately the project was a collaboration so we worked with the client and gallery a lot over the past seven years.”

Completed in December 2016, the new home for Cabinet Gallery has been created with a lot of brickwork details. A lot of brick specials where used with a number of custom moulds made for the bricks. In situ concrete was also used that was retarded and bush hammered after it was struck. Oak window frames were also used to finish off the design.

External hard and soft landscaping has also been completed including section 106 money funding the improvement and extension of the entrance to the park.

Cabinet Gallery

Following its completion, the project has won a RIBA London Award.

Commenting on the award and the success of the project Aaron concluded: “We have won a RIBA prize for the project and the local community like it so it has been quite popular. We are really pleased with winning the award. It was a long project but we are pleased to be getting some recognition for it.

“It has been an important project to work on through to completion, for me and the practice it has been a very unique project in a fantastic location and it has been really exciting. We are also really pleased to be winning awards as a result.”

About the author

Roma Publications