Clifton Nurseries, Bayswater. Bishops Bridge Road, London, 1979-1980. This was the first of two buildings built by Clifton Nurseries as part of their policy of revitalising vacant city sites that were temporarily derelict. The project grew out of the adjoining Colonnades development where Terry Farrell and Company had been commissioned to design a new library which had fallen through. Integral to the brief was that the building should convey the visual pleasure of plants and gardens, whilst remaining contemporary to the late 20th century.

The undulating structural form was derived from the use of large sheet plastic materials recently made available for certain types of agricultural greenhouses. Stemming from work with Ralph Lebens on alternative energy, the Bayswater Clifton Nurseries building demonstrated ventilation and energy conservation ideas, which became integral to its architectural identity. Double-walled polycarbonate sheet for cladding was used for the first time in Britain, fixed to a demountable steel frame. Winter heat losses are controlled by insulation of the polycarbonate; summer heat gain controlled by blinds on the south elevation and by a self-ventilating and heat-regulating system based on the principle of a solar chimney. This was the first project completed by Terry Farrell and Company following the spit from Farrell/Grimshaw and a chance to experiment with new materials.

The collection also contains references to an adjoining storage hut project, November 1993, with Terry Farrell then working under the Terry Farrell Partnership.

Construction Partners:
Client: Clifton Nurseries