Unearthed, a re-imagination of the King’s Head Theatre Pub, is an amalgamation of Islington’s past and future. The project aims to enhance the pub theatre experience by deconstructing the origins of the public house and tavern theatre. By introducing an observatory experience that blurs the boundary between public and private, the space fosters an increased sense of intimacy between viewer and performer.

The building’s materiality focuses on the circularity of construction processes. By reusing excavated earth in poured earth construction, the project reintegrates waste materials into the building process and structure. In addition, methods of soil-casting poured earth are used to reinterpret the site’s original walls and wallpaper patterns, providing a sort of archive of the original interior.

The project’s architecture explores boundaries of memory and the unknown, reimagining familiar archetypes with new geometries and taking visitors on a journey of unearthed narratives.