Holland House

What remains of Holland House, a Jacobean house substantially destroyed by World War II bombing, is today a popular and well-used destination: The East Wing, converted in the 1960s, houses a youth hostel; the Holland Park Café adjoins the Causeway arcade; and the main arcade forms the backdrop for Opera Holland Park. Yet with time, the house was placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register. So, our works focus on repair and refurbishment to the main arcade and roof, the East Wing and Causeway, minimising intervention to the existing building while ensuring structural integrity. The project conserves the external fabric of the historic building, masonry and windows, repairs the roof, and upgrades internal elements. Like-for-like ornamental stonework for the parapet is a pragmatic response to structural and ongoing maintenance issues and a welcome opportunity for stonemasons to hone their craft.

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Built in 1605 by the diplomat Sir Walter Cope, today only small sections of the house remain including the arcade where the original entrance was located

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Context

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The east wing is used as a youth hostel

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In summer the main arcade is the backdrop to Holland Park Opera

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The rest of the year it plays informal host to everything from dance to play to tai chi

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Decorative stone parapets have been restored and in places remade

City: London, W8
Uses: Culture, Hospitality
Client: Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Collaborators: Structure: Price & Myers
Services: Skelly and Couch Fire Surgery
Brickwork: Terrence Lee Conservation
Ecology: Eight Associates
Stonework: Paye