This superb two-bedroom apartment on Belsham Street is one of the few residential buildings to have been designed and developed by award-winning architecture firm Matheson Whiteley. The interior is clad in cross-laminated timber (CLT), creating a calm and serene living environment, with a wonderful sense of fluidity between the living area and bedrooms. Accessed from the main bedroom is a sunny east-facing balcony flooded with morning sunlight. Belsham Street is a peaceful residential street, which is a short walk from London Fields.

The Architect

Matheson Whiteley is an award-winning architecture studio established by Donald Matheson and Jason Whiteley in 2012, following their experiences at Herzog & de Meuron and Tony Fretton Architects respectively. The duo is known for collaborating with artists including David Noonan, and galleries including Modern Art and Hollybush Gardens. In 2014, the firm was included in Wallpaper*’s ‘firms-to-watch’ Architects’ Directory and was nominated in the 2015 RIBA Awards, the 2016 BD Architect of the Year Awards; it also won the 2018 AJ Small Projects Award.

The Building

Originally a Victorian industrial workshop, Hackney Palazzo is comprised of artists’ studios, offices and apartments inspired by the character of a Renaissance palazzo. It has been described by the architects as “that sophisticated conflation of workshop, office, tavern, warehouse and house that collapses the boundaries of family life by extending accommodation to workers, apprentices, friends, extended family and business associates.”

The Tour

Mathewson Whitely has sensitively renovated the building using a traditional palette of materials including red brick. Its understated façade is thoroughly in keeping with the surrounding vernacular architecture.

Entrance is on the second floor, where an Italian-designed linoleum-clad front door opens onto an open-plan living and dining area. Every inch of space has been carefully considered, from the contemporary materials to the floor-to-ceiling shelving and integrated storage. Two vertical timber-framed windows at the front of the plan flood the space with an abundance of light, reflected by the neutral palette and the CLT used throughout. The sleek L-shaped kitchen is completely integrated, with warm timber worktops and plenty of shelving space.

Two double bedrooms and a contemporary bathroom at the rear of the plan are accessed from the central corridor. Natural light pours through the skylight above the shower, illuminating a colourful terrazzo worktop designed by Max Lamb. In the main bedroom, slim, glazed double doors lead out to a charming balcony. There is plenty of storage in this room in the form of built-in cupboards. There is underfloor heating throughout the apartment.

Outdoor Space

Leading from the main bedroom is an east-facing cantilevered balcony paved with ceramic tiles, creating a wonderful sense of extension to the internal plan.

The Area

Belsham Street is brilliantly located close to the eclectic range of bars, restaurants and cafes of Dalston and London Fields including Little Duck | The Picklery, Brilliant Corners and E5 Bakehouse, plus many excellent pubs such as The Spurstowe Arms. The green expanse of London Fields (with its lido and nearby Broadway Market) is only a 10-minute walk away. Victoria Park is also in the vicinity and only a 15-minute walk to the south.

Hackney Central Overground station is a five-minute walk from Belsham Street and provides links to east-west Overground services, and direct lines to Highbury & Islington in 7 minutes. Buses run regularly to London Bridge and the City from nearby Kingsland Road.

Tenure: Leasehold
Lease Length: approx. 993 years remaining 
Service Charge: approx. £1,100 per annum

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.