Bosco Is an Old Cargo Barge Reborn as a Floating Luxury Mansion on The Thames

Bosco is a luxury city apartment, but with a much larger footprint and without the nuisances that come with living in an apartment building. It currently sits on the Thames in London, so you’d be in the poshest neighborhood without ever having to worry about rude people. Bosco is also a beautiful, most elegant example of upcycling, and a rare occasion to experience life on a lifeboat on a whole new level. That latter part means it’s reserved only for a specific type of potential customer: the very rich one.

Bosco is also a perfect fit for autoevolution’s Sea Month theme, a virtual party where we’re celebrating some of the most outstanding naval builds, both still in use and repurposed.

It started out as an old Dutch barge that was used to haul coal and grains across Europe. It was bought by the duo behind LAB Architects, Alistair Langhorne and Claire Bunten, in 2016, with the goal of becoming a family home. For that to happen, Bosco had to be stripped bare and have the upper part reconstructed, and of course, the interior was re-done and adapted to modern-day living.

Bosco is 40 feet (12 meters) long and offers living quarters across two levels, totaling 2,150 square feet (200 square meters) of interior space. The main deck now holds a glass and steel structure that serves as a winter garden and that the architects describe in the listing as a “transparent sea container.” Due to its shape and functionality, it’s not something one comes across too often in naval design but, then again, Bosco has steered far from its maritime origins.

The layout is perfect for family life or entertaining, and the styling is minimalist, but elegant and cozy. Bosco has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two lounges or socializing areas, an open-plan kitchen with dining room, an office that can be converted to another purpose, a utility room, and a secret cinema room, hidden – “cleverly sequestered” is the phrase used in the listing – in the bow.

Finishes include timber flooring and oak wood paneling, Carrara marble, glazing and steel, and a combination of Victorian tiles with aubergine polished plaster for the master bathroom. Bosco stands out for this strange but welcome mix of surprising styles, materials and colors: you get a rustic room with a splash of modernist color, a bathroom that feels almost spartan but comes with decidedly luxurious touches, and rooms with a minimalist approach and an occasional playful note.

The main deck holds the open-plan, sunken kitchen, with a gorgeous Carrara marble island and the elegant dining area. The sleeping and socializing areas below are all accessible via separate staircases, and have been used as the parents’ room and two bedrooms for the children, separated by a buffer zone: a space to chill out. The office now holds desks and a hanging chair for reading, but could be converted into another bedroom, if need be.

The cinema is small – or, better said, considering Bosco’s current owner – family-sized, but it has the real feel of one, with red walls and dimmed lighting and, of course, comfy couches.

As impressive as such a feature might be for a boathouse, it actually pales in comparison to the winter garden, which is designed for all-season use. It sits on a mirrored plinth and has timber flooring, blinds, and expansive glazing, and is packed with greenery, which is to be expected given its name. A “minimal interior aesthetic” ensures a “wonderfully contemplative, peaceful environment” to unwind and relax. If the weather allows it, you can enjoy the views in the open air, with a small outdoor lounge.

Bosco is asking £1.5 million, which is roughly $1.83 million at the current exchange rate, so the chance to enjoy this peaceful environment isn’t for everyone. The price includes 120-year mooring on Oyster Pier in Battersea, in a private spot within walking distance from posh little shops and cafes, and with spectacular views across The Thames, up to Imperial Wharf on the North Bank.

“Bosco offers all the benefits of a fantastic family home, with the unique addition of the tranquility that comes with life on the river,” the listing says. It’s a pricy family home, but a beautiful one nonetheless.