‘The fire station is a messy, informal
vernacular on many different scales’
glimpse through to the new rear garden.
New galleries, archives and education spaces
are joined by an artist’s studio up in the eaves,
while a communal kitchen will be an integral
part of a programme linking art and food.
Peckham Road is given a welcome bit
of animation by the station’s rebirth. ‘These
were the original civic buildings in this area,
and now they’re being opened up again,’
says Macdonald, although for some this is
the literal frontline of gentrification. For
the most part, however, the SLG’s presence
is more than welcome. In 2016, the artist
Gabriel Orozco created a swirling courtyard
garden behind the main gallery that also
forms a connection with the Sceaux Gardens
estate beyond. Adjoining the education
centre, it is an outside space for the SLG’s
many outreach programmes, which include
after-school clubs, training and art in the
community, such as the mural by Mark
Titchner on a nearby residents’ hall. The new
annexe will open with a group show, ‘Knock,
Knock’, curated by Heller with Ryan Gander,
looking at humour in contemporary art.6a Architects has woven together a
meticulous tapestry of different structures,
spaces and functions. The studio has a long-
standing relationship with the art world,
with projects such as the Raven Row gallery
adding a contemporary sensibility to
Spitalfields’ rich history. ‘Both Raven Row
and the first South London Gallery extension
were about traces and opportunity,’ says
Emerson. ‘We liked the idea that conservation
could be quite radical. Reuse is also more
or less the de facto condition of London.’
Currently working on a gallery in New
York, a large development in Melbourne,
and the expansion of Milton Keynes’ art
gallery, 6a Architects also has two projects
on the RIBA House of the Year longlist. ‘The
right clients really value architecture and
see what it can do for them,’ Emerson says.
At the South London Gallery, a long-standing
client relationship has paid dividends,
focusing the pragmatism and patience
required when working with old buildings
into something with far-reaching benefits. ∂
6a.co.uk; southlondongallery.orgEXPANDING HORIZONS
Founded in 1868, the South London
Gallery (SLG) is an important reference
point in the capital’s art scene. Its campus
on Peckham Road hosts a programme
of exhibitions, film, performances and
education projects, headed by director
Margot Heller. Seen on this plan are 6a
Architects’ additions to the original site.
1891
The SLG moves into 65 Peckham Road
(01, building not shown) and builds a sky-lit
gallery space in the back garden (02).
2006
6a Architects accepts its commission from
the SLG, refurbishing a neighbouring
derelict Victorian house (03) for the
public institution to expand into, and
creating a large extension at the back.
2010
The additions open, doubling SLG’s size
with new exhibition spaces, a flat for artist
residencies, a café, the Clore Education
Studio (04) and the Fox Garden.
2016
6a Architects works with the SLG and artist
Gabriel Orozco on the Orozco Garden
(05), delivering a sculptural landscape at
the rear of the original complex. It
incorporates a new gallery entrance from
the adjacent Sceaux Gardens estate.
2018
The SLG’s new annexe (06), also designed
by 6a Architects, opens to the public.
The 1867 building, the earliest surviving
purpose-built fire station in London,
was donated to the gallery in 2014 by
an anonymous benefactor. Ellie Stathaki050401020603208 ∑
Architecture
THE IMPRINT OF A CHIMNEY
IS AMONG DETAILS PRESERVED
IN THE RESTORED INTERIOR