Into the fold

摘要

There's sometimes a thin dividing line between architects who cynically tart up their buildings by specifying expensive materials and products in conspicuous locations such as entrance lobbies, and those who discreetly lavish attention on carefully selected details. Gauged by their Arts and Activity Building for the Dellow Day Centre in London's East End, which opened in November, Featherstone Young Architects belong in the second category. It's true that, working on a landlocked site, with windowless party walls on three sides, their design focus was bound to be on the west elevation, which faces the 1980s-built day centre on the other side of a small courtyard, but they should be congratulated on providing a unique, bespoke façade within an overall construction budget of £1,294 per square metre.