White Lion Court has had many roles since its Victorian origins; under the working curtilage of the Whitbread Brewery, as a recording studio for Pet Shop Boys, and as homes and studios for a plethora of well-known artists, filmmakers, directors and musicians.
In its current guise it’s a rarefied London warehouse, retaining an industrial past in robust, rustic materials, brought into modernity through the designs of the ever-thoughtful Studio Tashima. Its versatile live/work arrangement provides over 4,400 sq ft of largely lateral space hidden behind large gates and a walled, cobbled courtyard. Situated on this quiet cut-through from Whitecross Street to Golden Lane, between Clerkenwell and Old Street, it is one of Islington’s most secret and exciting homes.
From the street, the high yellow-stock brick wall and carnivalistically painted doors are a great distraction from what lies behind. A discreet trade door opens within the huge vehicular gates and steps into a deep, partially cobbled courtyard, revealing the concealed facade of the house within. Climbing jasmine encases the inner walls and spills over the high balustrades to provide even more privacy for the upper floors and the first floor terrace.
