Architecture
17/04/2026
As if Pine Heath wasn’t enough to capture our breath for the rest of time, Studio Hagen Hall has left us mouth agape once more with their latest project, Heion House; a modernist and Japanese-inspired reimagining of a late-Georgian Grade-II listed house in North London. As it’s being unveiled to the world, we thought it a good time to drop by their studio in east London to chat with founder, Louis Hagen Hall, about his inspirations, motivations and what comes next
What’s on the horizon for Studio Hagen Hall?
We have a number of post-war projects in the works across London, including the refurbishment of a 1966 Norman Starrett home, and the redevelopment of a Dennis Lennon and Partners designed villa on the Chalcots Estate (late 60’s). Outside of London, we recently had planning approved to extend and renovate one of the first modernist houses in the UK by Mark Hartland-Thomas (1935), and we are about to begin construction on a large scheme to re-build and extend an early work by Ray Moxley in Somerset (1959). Finally, we’re very excited to be working on our first mid-century project in the USA, which is Usonian house in Upstate New York built in 1969. Oh, and we are also starting to release our first furniture pieces for sale this year!
With the widespread celebration of Canyon House and Pine Heath we imagine you have become a sought-after conduit for achieving the high-end mid-century aesthetic. What do you think the best of that period of architecture and design did so well?
I think what the best mid-century and modernist architecture did is distil living down to its essentials. There’s a clarity to it, a real usability, with special attention paid to proportion and sense of place. I think perhaps what resonates with me most is how it manages to balance restraint with genuine warmth – through natural materials, honest structure, and a considered treatment of lighting (both natural and artificial). When it works, it feels completely effortless – but that simplicity is anything but easy to achieve!
If you could live in any building, which would it be?
Naturally, this is an incredibly hard choice! So I’m going to keep it simple and go with the building that first inspired me, aged 16, to become an architect and interior designer, and specifically got me interested in post-war design – the Farnsworth House, by Mies van der Rohe, completed in 1951
What’s your favourite small object from home/studio, why, and what does it mean to you?
My Hultafors tape measure (or “talmeter” as it’s called). It’s a beautifully practical object, and I honestly take it everywhere with me in case I come across something I want to measure – a detail, or something like that. Weird, I know!
Favourite place to visit if you are lacking inspiration?
My library – I’ve collected a lot of books about Lautner, Neutra, Schindler, FLW. They are always close to my desk and a source of constant inspiration
What’s the best creative mistake you’ve ever made?
No comment
Favourite flora?
I love ferns – I can’t really explain it – they’re natural, prehistoric, but geometrical at the same time
Is there a film, song or painting that evokes, aligns with or defines your creativity?
For this I’ll select an album by Les McCann, called “Much Les” – I listen to it at least once a week (sometimes once a day to the annoyance of the studio) – written in 1969. It’s dynamic, with energetic and poised moments, soulful, almost tactile – and always puts me in the mood to be creative
Can you think of a design trend that you used to dislike, but now love?
I think the trend I’ve always disliked is the trend for trends haha!
Dream place to design a home for you or a client?
Well, Upstate New York was on the list! Closer to home, I would love to work on the Barbican Estate – as a Londoner, it’s always been a beacon of inspiration for me
Does childhood memory play any part in your approach to your work and if so, how?
I spent a lot of my childhood at my grandparents’ house in Highgate, which had a large extension completed by Erno Goldfinger (one of his first projects in the UK). I think I have a particularly good memory for how a space feels, and that building has really stuck with me. I clearly remember the variety of proportions and sequencing of the rooms, the internal level changes (stepping down to the dining area and up to the lounge area), and floor-to-ceiling glazing that connected to the garden – all themes present in the work our studio produces now.
