Bringing a Grade II* listed building into public use for the first time in more than 200 years, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in central London is now open to the public, with Roca bathroom solutions being a feature of its washrooms.Giving new life to The Magazine, a former gunpowder store built in 1805, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery is situated just five minutes’ walk from the Serpentine Gallery. Featuring 900 square metres of gallery space, shop, restaurant and social space, the Serpentine’s second space in Kensington Gardens is designed by the multi award-winning Zaha Hadid Architects.
Restored to an extremely high standard in partnership with The Royal Parks, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery continues the relationship between the Gallery and Zaha Hadid Architects,
which began with the inaugural Serpentine Gallery Pavilion Commission in 2000.
This is also not the first time that the Roca Group has been involved with a Zaha Hadid project, with its Chelsea Design Quarter-based, and much-acclaimed, Roca London Gallery also bearing her design. For the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, Roca products were donated as part of the manufacturer’s long-held commitment to supporting cultural and community projects.
Roca’s Meridian-N sanitaryware was chosen to fulfill this most demanding of briefs. Inspired by functionality and geometry, Meridian-N is a fusion of classic and modern design cues, in much the same way as the Serpentine Sackler Gallery itself, being a contemporary renovation and extension of a building that is steeped in British history. The new washrooms feature Meridian-N back-to-wall WCs with soft-close seats, along with co-ordinating compact washbasins.
Overcoming issues of space with its compact design, Roca’s Meridian-N also responds to the demands of modern-day living. The range’s WC cisterns feature an efficient 4.5/3-litre water capacity, helping the Gallery minimise its negative impact on the environment and reduce its running costs.
