Quebec Wharf

Quebec Wharf was built in 1878 for the North Metropolitan Tramways Company used as a granary to keep the forage for the company’s horses. The ensemble also comprised a boiler & engine house, office and dwelling house. The warehouse was shortly used as a spice warehouse later in the C20 and converted into living units in the latest 90's.

The proposal of refurbishment works to one of the units conceives an open plan living space along the West facade of the building with the two bedrooms to the rear of the unit. Both the kitchen and the bathrooms are kept in the same location to avoid any change in the existing services.

The approach to the design takes into account the nature of the building being an old warehouse and therefore its internal general arrangement being flexible and adaptable. The structure of the building are stock brick walls that form an approximate square structure and a cast iron pillar grid within the perimetral walls which allows big spacious and flexible space ideal for the storage of forage.

The one living space to the West facade allows one to understand the former utility of the space, and provides the living spaces with the biggest windows of the unit. It enhances the continuous exposed brick wall and provides a modular rhythm to the views. The space also brings together all the heritage elements: the windows, the lucarn, the exposed brick walls and the cast iron pillars.