Delfina Foundation following renovation by Studio Octopi. Photo Julien Lanoo
Today Delfina Foundation marks 10 years since reopening following a major renovation and expansion of its London home.
Founded in 2007, Delfina Foundation was originally located in a single Edwardian terraced townhouse at 29 Catherine Place, with the capacity to host four international residents at a time.
After the renovation and expansion into the neighbouring building, the Foundation reopened on 17 January 2014 as the UK’s largest residency for the visual arts.
Since then its centrally-located home has been able to offer a place to stay and a community for up to eight international artists, curators, or thinkers at a time, supported by the on-site office, a library, dinning room, terrace, and a 1650 square feet exhibition and project space where we host talks, exhibitions, screenings and other activities.
Led by London-based architects Studio Octopi, and with the initial concept design developed in collaboration with Shahira Fahmy Architects, the considerate renovation expanded the buildings’ potential and introduced new uses, while honing a sense of domesticity.
Through a number of interventions, the architects paid respecting to the integrity of the original buildings and its palimpsest history – uncovering and leaving traces of its past in place, such as the floorboards that bear testimony to its former floor-plan, the fireplaces that were essential to its heating in the past, and sections of wallpaper from a previous occupant.
Marking a decade since our major renovation and expansion