London’s Summer Serpentine Architectural Programme Unveiled

This Summer, Northacre, London's leading luxury property developer founded by architect Klas Nilsson 25 years ago, is sponsoring the first ever Serpentine Summer Houses, an extension of the internationally acclaimed Serpentine Pavilion commission.

Under the inspirational leadership of Serpentine's Director of Summer Programmes, Julia Peyton-Jones and Artistic Director, Hans Ulrich Obrist the four specially conceived Summer Houses are designed by Kunlé Adeyemi – NLÉ (Amsterdam/Lagos), Barkow Leibinger (Berlin/New York), Yona Friedman (Paris) and Asif Khan (London).

Inspired by the nearby Queen Caroline's Temple, a classical-style summer house erected in 1734, the Summer Houses will be built and installed in Kensington Gardens and open to the public from 10th June 2016. With a strong architectural team of its own, working in partnership with some of the world's leading architectural practices, Northacre is responsible for reviving and creating some of London's most significant architectural buildings. Northacre properties are renowned for their pioneering and technically complex revival schemes such as The Bromptons, The Lancasters, Kings Chelsea and The Phillimores and are recognized as destination developments in their own right.

One of the most challenging aspects of these developments is ensuring that the architecturally notable (and often listed) façades can be maintained and restored whilst creating visionary interior accommodation that provides for generations to come. At its current development, No.1 Palace Street, the only residence to offer views of the gardens of Buckingham Palace and due for completion in 2018, engineering work has commenced on the complex underpinning of the Grade II listed property. The development involves part refurbishment and façade retention of the existing listed building and internal demolition and new build of the other buildings. Built in 1860, the former 'Palace Hotel' was originally designed to host over-flow guests of Queen Victoria and the residence includes five iconic architectural styles within the one site.

The success of Northacre's developments are primarily founded on the ability to create apartments and houses with generously and wellproportioned rooms in harmony with the property and the setting. In contrast to many developers today, Northacre negotiates 999 year leases on its properties, confident to pledge that their properties will stand for a thousand years.

For the first time in its history, Northacre has embarked on a new-build venture, The Broadway, an impressive 1.7acre site in Westminster and former headquarters of New Scotland Yard. Achieving planning permission in February, the mixed-use development will feature six architecturally striking peninsulas, creating a contemporary and dynamic quarter in the heart of Westminster. The design incorporates materials sympathetic to the sandstone and brick of the area and expresses a transition between the historic architecture to the north and the more contemporary neighborhood along Victoria Street.

Niccolò Barattieri di San Pietro, CEO of Northacre, comments; “Architecture is as integral to our properties as it is to making London the great city it is. We are thrilled to be supporting the Serpentine Summer House initiative and championing one of the most exciting and forwardthinking architecture programmes in the world. It is a celebration of the creativity and inspirations behind buildings that frame our lives and lifestyles. Architecture creates the fabric of our cities and lives, making it important for the cultural agenda.”