Design
Servery units
Credit: © CCA
De Stijil influences
At Langham House Close the eclecticism of James Stirling can also be seen in the listed servery units of the flats. Designed in a manner derived from De Stijl, the servery units separate the kitchens from the dining areas. As described in the Architect & Building News of 7 Jan 1959: ‘Cupboard handles and drawer pulls are in oiled teak throughout. In all units the finishes are a combination of softwood, painted gloss white, and pine, finished with a clear varnish, the horizontal framing members contrasting with the faces of the cupboards and drawers. In each case half of the available storage space is accessible from each side of the unit.’
The original servery variants are illustrated below, followed by photographs and technical drawings published in The Architect & Building News 7 Jan 1959.
Type 1
This type was found in all the flats in the three-storey block. The only difference between the flats’ serveries was in the type of finish. In some apartments the wood horizontal framing was painted in white, while the teak sliding doors were simply oiled. In other flats the finishes were inverted, with the sliding doors painted in white and the wood framing varnished. The teak handles were oiled in a darker tint.
Type 2
This type was found in the two two-storey blocks. The sliding doors were not composed of vertical slats of teak but were cut out of a single plywood panel. The unit was supported by four floor-to-ceiling vertical battens. Typical finishes of this variant had the plywood doors painted in white and the horizontal wood framing varnished. The vertical battens were also left in natural wood.
Type 3
Type 2 and Type 3 serveries were found in those flats of the two two-storey blocks where the units were positioned against the kitchen worktops, forming an L-shape angle. Type 3 did not use the four vertical wooden battens and was mounted directly on the wall. A full rectangular wooden panel was added to the other end to complete the assembling. The design components and finishes were the same as those in Type 1.
Type 4
Types 4 and 5 were found in the four flats facing the hill between the two two-storey blocks. These servery units were shorter due to the different layouts of these flats designed by Gowan. Even though enclosed between two walls, Type 4 had the same characteristic and finishes as Type 2: the four wooden battens were present on both sides, plywood sliding doors were painted in white and the wooden horizontal framing was varnished.
Type 5
Type 5 was probably the most distinctive unit. The design components and finishes were the same as Type 1 and Type 3, but the lower storage was horizontally divided into two sections. The bottom part was accessible via a sliding door while the upper part had a set of three drawers complementing the lower storage unit. The upper storage was accessible through a sliding door. In all five types the storage spaces were accessible from both sides of the units.
Plans
Type 1
Type 2 & 3
Type 4 & 5
