Ben Hunter Gallery 2, 2025
Ben Hunter mounts exhibitions of contemporary and 20th century art, also working privately with collectors and institutions.
We completed a first phase of work for the gallery in 2020, and a second phase in 2022. For this new phase of work, we were asked to remodel further spaces, within the Victorian townhouse they occupy in St James’s, London, to provide additional exhibition spaces, private viewing rooms and back-of-house space. The project included a new entrance space, fronting the street and providing a visual presence amongst the galleries and auction houses that characterise the area.
Street frontage - early study
Principal elevation
Section
Basement plan
Ground floor plan
Intermediate landing
First floor
Second floor plan
In common with the previous phases of work, the interior was carefully stripped back to remove unwanted accretions.
The gallery spaces are simply detailed with minimal articulation of the junctions between surfaces, with new free-standing, and easily repairable, wall and ceiling linings that can accommodate regularly changing exhibitions.
In a new suite of rooms forming a client viewing area on the upper floor, the original details have been retained and restored, giving a more domestic feel to the rooms.
The ground floor entrance and gallery space has a new oak parquet floor. Elsewhere the existing timber floors were either left as found or renovated using salvaged boards.
Bespoke track-mounted lighting provides even illumination to the wall surfaces, and retractable blinds diffuse daylight. The existing windows were refurbished to allow the new spaces to be naturally ventilated, with shutters added to the ground floor gallery space.
Elevation study
Street frontage - early study
Principal elevation
Section
Basement plan
Ground floor plan
Intermediate landing
First floor
Second floor plan