Photo credit: © Sue Barr, courtesy of The Cosmic House
We are absolutely delighted to tell you about one of the most fascinating homes in the capital – the Grade 1 listed Post-Modernist wonder, The Cosmic House in Holland Park.
Designed by Charles and Maggie Jencks alongside architect Sir Terry Farrell in the 1970s as a celebration of cosmology and astrology, it was their home until 2019. It opened as a museum in 2021 and is also home to the Jencks Foundation.
The attention to detail is incredible; there are 52 stairs which represent the weeks of the year, and each step has 365 strips to portray each day of the year. It’s very hard to select highlights as there’s something which captures your attention at every turn, however be sure to spend time exploring the Dome of Water jacuzzi and the Four Seasons rooms.
The Cosmic House explains: “The Cosmic House represents a synthesis of ideas about science and the arts embodied in everything from its front door to its furniture. It is a true Post-Modern Gesamtkunstwerk in which the Jenckses and their friends designed everything and integrated art, furniture and ideas into the architecture and design. Michael Graves designed the fireplaces and Piers Gough the jacuzzi. Works by Eduardo Paolozzi and Allen Jones are integral to the design of the interior. Rem Koolhaas was commissioned to design the Spring room, although the design was never executed as it was deemed not suitably symbolic.
The house might be seen as a contemporary parallel to Sir John Soane’s House completed a century and a half earlier. Both houses were intended as expressions of personality, ideas and as tools for teaching and illustrating the history and potential of architecture. Like Sir John Soane’s House, The Cosmic House has its own complex narrative, a story which unwinds as the visitor wanders around and in which the house itself becomes a character.”
As it’s situated in a residential area, opening hours and visitor numbers are restricted. Plan your visit and secure tickets well in advance to avoid disappointment.