Pitzhanger Manor was the country home of Sir John Soane, one of the most influential architects in British history.
The recent three year renovation project, led by Ealing Council in collaboration with Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery Trust, peeled back layers of history, extensions and overpainting, returning Pitzhanger to Soane’s original design, now visible for the first time in over 175 years.
The Regency Manor, built between 1800 and 1804, is a rare and spectacular example of a building designed, built and lived in by Sir John Soane himself. With its stripped classical detail, canopy domed ceilings, radical decorative paint schemes and inventive use of space and light; Pitzhanger features many architectural elements that Soane adapted for his later buildings including Dulwich Picture Gallery and his city home in Lincoln’s Inn Fields.
The project was led by architects Jestico + Whiles with the support of heritage experts Julian Harrap Architects. They were supported by a large team of specialist contractors, led by Quinn London Ltd.
Craftspeople from across the UK lent their skills to reinstating Soane’s intricate and idiosyncratic designs, from stone carving to Chinese wallpaper, landscaping to glass. Pitzhanger reopened in March 2019. The Manor has been revitalised to take it back to Soane’s original designs, its extraordinary elements restored for all to see with the beautiful rooms left sparse of any furniture letting the incredible architecture speak for itself.
For the shoot we wanted the pieces to feel like they were an extension of the building and that they complement each other and I am sure you will agree that this was the case.
