Kimbell Pike Architects has completed the conversion of a Grade II listed former parish hall in Richmond into a new nursery school for Riverside Nurseries.

The project involved the adaptation of St John’s Studios, originally built in 1911 as a parish hall for the nearby church of St John the Divine on Kew Road. Designed by Arthur Grove, the Arts and Crafts-style building occupies a corner site fronting both Larkfield Road and Church Road and was previously in use as offices and small business units.

Constructed in red-brown and pale red brick with stone dressings and tile roofs, the two-storey building includes a main hall with scissor-braced roof which forms the focus for the new nursery space.

According to the architect, the design approach sought to align with Montessori principles by using natural materials and creating a flexible internal layout. A central plywood spine was introduced within the former hall to organise the large volume into more manageable zones.

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