© Iwan Baan

On 27 June 2017 the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD) unveiled its new flagship residence in London: the recently renovated Richard Rogers’ Wimbledon House.

Arper enthusiastically responded to the invitation by the School’s Dean Mohsen Mostafavi to consider supporting the project. Based on the overall design Arper proposed the three-seater Saari Sofa by Lievore Altherr Molina, which was donated to the School and now forms part of this stunning House.

© Iwan Baan

Designed by esteemed British architect Richard Rogers for his parents in the late 1960s, Wimbledon House was gifted to Harvard by Lord Rogers and Ruth Rogers in 2015 and since then has undergone renovations by architect Philip Gumuchdjian, with landscape design by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan.

The House, once the Rogers’ private home will now serve as the residence for the Richard Rogers Fellowship, as well as a new GSD venue for lectures, symposia, and other international events. The aim is that the building will become a centre for debate and discussion for both Harvard alumni and a wider audience, with the goal of the residency to support research that addresses alternative and sustainable urban futures.

© Iwan Baan