Kings Gate
Kings Gate
London SW1, Patrick and Claudia Lynch

Lynch Architects, designer of the 14-storey Kings Gate building in London SW1, worked closely with izé to produce high-quality customised solutions for all the 100 apartments This involved reviving techniques that are little-used today, applying rigorous and in-depth quality control, and developing a new solution to hold back doors. The concept behind the ironmongery was to match the colour of finishes used elsewhere in the building, and to echo the form of a pillar in the reception of the accompanying office building where the profile changes from round to square. The same profile is used for the door handles, which have been sand-cast in satin white bronze, which has a slightly pinkish tone. Sand casting is a traditional technique that is little used today, but izé was concerned that the now-prevalent investment casting would have resulted in a finish that was too sharp and uncomfortable to handle. By using a solid white bronze, rather than a finish on another metal, the ironmongers ensured that the handle would wear gracefully and simply improve with age. The handles were all hand-polished, a process that requires detailed supervision. Matching the dour handles are specially designed white bronze cast and stamped flush pulls in a range of sizes for pivot, pocket and wardrobe doors. Again, the casting gives a more hand-crafted feel to the pulls than would have been achieved with the more common stamping method. Izé also designed a custom magnetic door stop for the pivot doors on the interconnecting passage within the apartments. Unlike a conventional door stop, this stop, which consists of a male and a female part, allows the door to align flush with the wall. Other specialised elements that izé produced for the project include a 22-pin master keyed system across common areas of the building, and custom architect-designed flush pulls in white bronze on the entrance lobby pivoting doors. In 2017 the project won the residential category of the biennial GAI/RIBA Architectural Ironmongery Specification Awards.