YRM in the running for Sir Elton’s gallery

Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish have gone back to the drawing board for their planned gallery for John’s photographic collection

The film director and film director/producer have asked four architects to come up with a new design after rejecting proposals from architects that they had previously approached, including Marks Barfield, the designers of the London Eye.

Building understands that Sir Elton has approached several companies including YRM, the King’s Cross-based practice.

A source close to the project, which was first talked about three years ago, said that now that the original designs had been scrapped it was once again at a preliminary stage.

“It is being handled directly by the client’s PA,” said the source.

Sir Elton is expected to make a decision on the design by mid-October.

According to the source, the project is highly confidential, but it is understood that a garage and storage space in the grounds of Sir Elton’s mansion in Windsor, Berkshire, will be converted into a gallery of about 2000 ft2. It is expected to house his black and white photography collection.

In 2003, Sir Elton auctioned off the contents of his London home in Holland Park, west London, to create more space for his photographic collection.

The project would be a coup for YRM, which is rebuilding itself as a not-for-profit trust after a turbulent past caused by over-expansion in the 1980s and 1990s.

Turnover at the company is about £4m and managing director John Clemow has outlined plans to increase that to about £6.4m by 2008, with margins at 10% of turnover after tax.

YRM is one of the top 40 architects in the UK and has worked on projects including Heathrow’s Terminal 5 alongside Richard Rogers Partnership.