Mercury House is a very special project for Studio Ageli and one close to our hearts. It was our first foray into the Seychelles and a significant commission for a fledgling practice. We rose to the occassion and several years on the design still feels fresh and vibrant and the scheme a great achievement particularly given the state of the original building and time/ budget constraints.
There are very few projects like this in the Seychelles – the materials and build techniques and the feel of the space are more akin to a London hospitality venue than a tropical one; nonetheless it retains all the character and charm of the Creole vernacular which so heavily influenced the architecture. The main challenges during tender and construction were ensuring the local crafts-people understood what was being asked of them which meant that everything had to be bench-marked and samples made and approved (you can see some of this in our build record page HERE).
Having said that, the flow was not all one way and the project was an education and a journey of exploration for the studio – we learnt a lot from the skilled artisans working with us, many of whom originate from Gujarat in India bringing a wealth of knowledge with them, and who remained friends long after completion, working in collaboration with us on several of our other projects.
It was this dialogue which bore fruit and made the project a one-off. Many thanks to the journalists/ publishers and to our client who gave us the opportunity as a young practice to prove ourselves and demonstrate what can be achieved with the confidence and freedom only a patron can afford. Mercury House remains, 6 or so years later, a truly memorable, remarkable and beautiful project.
Press clippings:
Archilovers
E-architect
Archello