Christ Church Tower

Christ Church Tower in London, England by Boyarsky Murphy Architects

In this year's issue of Architectural Record's Record Houses, one project stands out: a 12-story renovation of Christ Church Tower in London by Boyarsky Murphy Architects. Nicholas Boyarsky, son of former Architectural Association chairman (1971-1990) Alvin Boyarsky, and his wife and partner Nicola Murphy faced a difficult design task, with limiting physical conditions and restrictions due to the tower's landmark status. Designed by Christopher Wren after London's 1666 fire, partially destroyed in WWII (image at left), the tower has been rebuilt numerous times throughout the years.

Fitting a residence into a 52m (170 ft) church tower might not seem to be the most logical undertaking, though when the client saw the real estate listing, the lower half was being used for office space. Her adventurousness certainly inspired the architects to be creative with their intervention, especially given that the whole residence is approximately 230sm (2,500 sf), the largest floor plate is only 20sm (215 sf). This means that each floor contains one function, as the sections attest.

From the bottom to the top are the entry and dining on the first level, the kitchen one floor above, bathrooms on level four, bedrooms on levels five to eight, the living area on nine, library on ten, and viewing platforms at the topmost levels. Vertical circulation is the natural consistent presence on these levels, including an existing spiral stair, seven new staircases, a (tiny) lift and a ladder. Each new stair takes on a character of its own (open, closed, wood, glass, spiral, straight) that respond to the unique conditions of each level, in some cases creating intimacy and in others allowing light to penetrate to lower, windowless levels.

To return to the desire to build a residence in a church tower, an important factor in this decision must have been the tower's proximity to St. Paul's Cathedral, a scant 100m (325 ft) to the south. The views of St. Paul's, and the rest of London, from the top of the tower are exceptional. It is these views, the fantastical condition of living in a church tower, and the skill of the architect's intervention that have led the client to commission Boyarsky Murphy to design another residence in another Wren tower, at St. Mary Somerset.