Italian girl in London

Italian girl in London

Monthly Archives: December 2016

Conservation and innovation for the Italian School of London

20 Tuesday Dec 2016

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Little Black Book

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Architecture, design, education, interiors, italian school of london, JT Lab

Italians like doing business in London and are here to stay, soft or hard Brexit. The love affair with West London is still going strong, at least for those who can still afford it, or got there first, and set roots in leafy Notting Hill and surroundings.

A statement of their commitment is the newly refurbished and extended Italian School in London, a full time bilingual Italian and English Primary School with Nursery, located in one of the nicest roads in the upmarket Holland Park.

The education model integrates the British system – in particular its educational objectives and teaching methods – with the Italian curriculum, merging the best of both worlds, using the words of their founders.

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The school originally opened in 2010 to accommodate a limited number of pupils. The growing number of Italians – most of them bankers and professionals – that have chosen the UK capital to do business and start a family has been increasing steadily for the last six years, and despite the uncertainty triggered by the referendum, it doesn’t look like it is going to stop anytime soon. So more people means more families and children, and higher demand for more space to accommodate pupils.

The difference between junior schools that most of us attended and this one are staggering. While our chairs were old and made of the cheapest possible materials, the desks scribbled all over it and were dated pre Second World War, these are colourful, ergonomic and have the signature of leading design firms behind them.

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And that is the interior. This new development, which features a glazed walkway through the courtyard between the two properties on the first floor, was executed and delivered by JT Lab, architecture and design firm based in London, led by two young Italian architects.

The project presented a high level of complexity and challenges, such as the conversion of a listed building, located in a conservation area, from residential to school, the redesign of the inner space to efficiently enable a smooth connection between the original building and the new one, delivered within a tight deadline.

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Tiziano Massarutto, principal at JT lab and project lead said: “We are delighted with the new building. We got there after facing several challenges, such as matching the features of the building and the need to deliver a space suitable for young children and their educational needs. We are very proud of the result, having delivered it on time, within budget and to high standards.

While we were working on this project, we thought a lot about the users of this space, the children and their teachers. Putting their safety first, their experience at school, and their desire to have fun at school, we designed this space around them. This school, which features Italian leading furniture companies for their interiors, is a child-centric space, and I hope my little daughter will be able to study here in few years time”.

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Five storeys are not enough

12 Monday Dec 2016

Posted by italiangirlinlondon in Little Black Book

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paulbliss_sixstorey_07

I remember that, not too long ago, Soho square was a place you walked through quickly, keeping an eye on your purse while walking fast. The park in the middle of the square wasn’t regarded as the most salubrious of central London and its reputation was justified. Now it is media land, rental space is one of the most expensive of the capital, the restaurant scene is thriving and it remains one of the main areas for going out. Soho is still seedy, grants a level of anonymity and invisibility as nowhere else. It is a place where you can walk on your own and change the course of your night just by choosing a door, or not. In the land where everything is possible, there was still a corner ripe for development.

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Until now. At the corner of Soho Square and Soho Street the scaffolding have finally come off and a new bar/ restaurant/ fun place is there. Called Six Storeys, it is what it says. It is having a soft launch this month, inviting few lucky ones to eat, drink and be merry.camm-and-hooper-vbh-432

The overarching theme running across this six storey townhouse is prohibition, quite appropriate considering the location and its long standing reputation for vice and underground life.

The drinks list is extensive and showcases that – Brexit or not – London is still a destination for innovation and talent, in the media, in the tech sector and when it comes to food and drink. Where else can you find a 72 hour Fig or Apple Pie infused Martinis or a savoury, Venison and Summer Truffle Gin Cup? Or a Burnt Toffee Scotch Old Fashioned, a Rose and Cocoa infused Vodka or even a Peanut Butter flavoured Rum. Luckily this will not only be a place for drinks, but food will be high on the agenda and served through the day.

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The venue will then officially open from the 3rd January 2017.

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Get there soon, before everyone hears about it and gets impossible to get a table.

www.sixstoreys.com

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