Porcelain Gallery in Central London by Simon Astridge

Our first encounter with architecture is often perceived through sight. Vision is considered at the top of the hierarchy of the five senses but architecture should be a multi-sensory experience. Porcelain Gallery by Simon Astridge Architecture Workshop is a remarkable project that intensely rouses our sense of touch. When designing this showroom, Simon Astridge had a tactile focus in mind. “I want my clients to walk into a space and not be able to keep their hands in their pockets. I want them to touch the different hues, textures and colours of the tiled products. I want them to run their fingers over the walls and the floor.”

Set on a redundant plot in the jewellery district of Central London, this gallery, office and showroom is the new home of Pentagon Tiles. They sought a space which challenges the conventional idea of a showroom and that would give unique insight to their brand. Pentagon Creative Director, Sam Frith, envisioned that the new showroom would be the ideal location for architects and specification professionals to experience their products. He said: “We are questioning preconceptions of what a showroom is, and the relationship between the products we display and the space itself.” The space is wildly beautiful but also practically answers technical requirements, reacts to commercial considerations and directly caters for architects and specifiers who will become the clients of this porcelain gallery.

The rich history of Hatton Garden in Camden is intrinsic in the design. The use of shipping containers represents the industrial heritage of the area and Astridge chose to paint the exterior of the units red and yellow to complement the hues of the surrounding listed buildings. Smaller details such as the antique light fittings and custom display cabinets were designed to communicate the significance of the jewellery workshops still prevalent in the area.

Inside the showroom the ceiling is the most astonishing feature. Light pink textured plaster is set behind a timber structure that form frames around rose-coloured clay pots. Built-in metal shelving runs along one wall and a large glass and wood cabinet in the centre house some of the products. The offices are finished simply with light plaster walls and clay lights.

Almost everything that the visitor touches and encounters is clay. This concept starts as you enter the gallery with the ceramic buzzer and continues with the extruded stair handrail and the slender door handles made from 100% natural clay. This project gave Astridge the chance to collaborate with ceramic artists, including our very own Bruce Rowe of Anchor Ceramics. They also meticulously designed all the pieces and their unique glazes with their in-house ceramicist Emma Louise Payne.

When specifying a product such as tile, we may only view it in brochures, online or with small samples, but Porcelain Gallery reveals a product’s potential and innate quality through its direct application. We are inspired, transported and seduced by touch. Vision may lead us there but it is the sense of touch that satisfies our curiosity.