Careless Kingdom
type: Competition, Interior design, Public
location: London, England
year: 2026
status: Concept
authors: Albina Zvarych, Solomia Korol, Maria Pakhomova, Oleksandr Pidlubnyi
After familiarising ourselves with the property and its history, we concluded that adapting the building for public use would be appropriate. Through an honest dialogue with the space, we divided it into two parts: one open to the community and the other intended for individual retreat.
In our view, true luxury today lies in the ability to be offline. The project is therefore conceived as a disconnected space, where all electronic devices are left in lockers at the entrance, allowing visitors to fully detach from external stimuli.
The former pool area is opened to the public and accessed directly from streets Whiston Rd and Laburnum St. New entrances lead from the streets into the hall, while additional windows are added to the façade to open the building towards the city.
The swimming pool hall functions as a public space and includes children’s areas, creating a place of relaxation for everyone; tea rooms inspired by the image of a tree house; an amphitheatre under an artificial sun for shared celebrations and relaxation; and a sand-covered pool forming a beach-like atmosphere, with a large central tent for collective retreats reminiscent of a children’s blanket tent. Plants are integrated throughout as elements of nature and comfort. A small office space to the right of the main hall is intended for shared use by creative users
A restaurant is located on the roof, oriented towards the river and the creative hub across the road. We consider it important for the building and the creative hub to function together and establish a shared connection to the river.
The individual retreat is conceived as a sequential spatial journey of purification.
It begins in a black room with a meditation stone, creating separation from external influences. Visitors then pass through a labyrinth, which serves as a ritual walk. The next space allows visitors to choose an atmosphere — dawn, forest or clear sky — completing the stage of visual and acoustic purification. Physical purification takes place in a space with a pool and waterfall. Next is the library of silence, where interaction with information takes place in tranquillity. The journey continues to a viewing bridge overlooking the labyrinth, then leads to an area for light exercise or meditation. It ends in a room filled with light and wood, symbolising new life.
