Sky’s the Limit for Clapham Architects

Clapham based architects Marks Barfield, the husband-and-wife team behind the London Eye, are now giving their audience a new skyline experience in their usual innovative and dramatic style, having recently completed work on Brighton’s British Airways i360.
The BA i360 is a 162-metre tall vertical pier on the seafront of Brighton and is the world’s first vertical cable car. On a clear day you can see the tip of the Isle of Wight, 40 miles away, the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters to the Sussex Downs and the city below can now be seen in a completely new perspective.
The BA i360 project proved equally as demanding as the London Eye with the whole project taking twelve years from concept to the submission of planning permission in 2006, through to final completion in August 2016. But with the project now completed it’s another triumph for Marks Barfield.
When asked on how it benefits the city Julia and David said

“It is a regeneration project, it will create jobs, it will bring more people to the city, it will encourage them to stay longer and it will encourage people to visit other attractions. The reason we are doing it is because we want it to be doing all those things for Brighton.”
Marks Barfield Architects have been based on Venn Street in Clapham since 1990.
“We chose Clapham because it is within walking distance of our home in Stockwell and we found a lovely studio space that we could afford and it had a great butcher and bakery. It has excellent transport links and is a great area to work, very green, is now well endowed with good places to eat and has a lively community of creative businesses.”
“The area has transformed since we first came here; spearheaded by the arrival of the Picture House Cinema closely followed by a number of great restaurants and eventually the pedestrianisation of Venn St with its Saturday market just next to our office.”
Amongst designing a host of prestigious international projects they were also the architects behind the successful regeneration of Clapham Old Town, creating a high quality, tranquil urban piazza. It has given the area back to the pedestrian, reversing the percentage of road to pavement – previously 65% road to 35% pavement, now 65% pavement to 35% road area.
As a board member of the This is Clapham BID Julia has been keen to see further improvements to the public Realm in Clapham.

“I am keen to pull the qualities of the common into the streets. I think street trees have an enormous transformative effect on the quality of space, air quality and a sense of wellbeing. They are the most cost effective, long-lasting and sustainable investment in the public realm that can be made. Further introduction of pedestrian friendly public realm would be very welcome – for example around Clapham Overground.”
And in terms of running a business and spending time in Clapham, what do you like most about the area?
“The presence of the common gives the area a wonderful sense being able to breathe and have long views – room to think. There is a great choice in lunch places and places to socialise in the evening. David and I are great fans of Gastro/ Madeline, Trinity and The Dairy/Manor. We are regular customers of the Saturday market and Clapham Books on the pavement. They can get any book you want just as fast as Amazon and I imagine they pay their taxes. We also love A D Robertson the old fashioned hardware shop on Clapham PK road, father and son, they have everything!”

Image courtesy of British Airways i360