Architectural practice Michael Hopkins & Partners chose American white oak for the newly built livery hall of the Haberdashers’ Company in Smithfield in the City of London.
The project has strong stylistic similarities to the Queen’s Hall at Emmanuel College, Cambridge – a past winner of the Carpenters Award for the Hopkins practice.
According to Sir Michael, American oak was picked for the Haberdashers’ Company as it does not have the busier wave-pattern graining of English or European oak.
The timber was used throughout the building, including the entrance foyer, inner colonnaded courtyard, reception gallery and the livery hall itself, for flooring, panelling and ceilings.
The project team was led by director James Greaves.
