The Art Bunker

Our client, a passionate modern art collector, commissioned us to design a private gallery space in his residential garden, specifically to house some of his larger artworks and bespoke pieces created for the space.

To minimise its external presence while maximising internal volume, the garden studio was partially sunken into the ground. Its form is kept simple, featuring a flat, single-pitch roof with a rear slot rooflight to bring in indirect natural light. A large-format window faces the main house, establishing a strong visual connection between the garden and the interior.

The “art bunker” is concealed within a fantastic contextual designed garden by Studio Bristow, revealing itself only through curated glimpses depending on where you stand. Clad in matte black corrugated material, the structure becomes a subtle shadow behind the lush planting, with the corten steel entrance portal emerging as you follow the pathway through the garden.

Inside, the design embraces a cost-effective, raw material palette of concrete blockwork walls, OSB panels to display the artwork, and a polished concrete floor. This simple structure serves as a quiet backdrop for the vibrant landscape and the art it was built to showcase.