30
PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL, CIVIC & FAITH BUILDINGS
© Dirk Lindner
The rotunda features a brick ‘jacket’ that references the details in Arab Hall using a series of 15 bespoke bricks
This enthrallment with all things Arabian inspired the design of the hall, leading him to include a golden dome and adorn the interior with historic tiles, some dating back to the late 16th and early 17th centuries. This striking addition was constructed between 1877 and 1881 and surpassed the original cost of the home. Two more noteworthy extensions took place prior to Leighton’s passing in 1896. The first was the Winter Room, an elevated space designed to support his creative endeavours during the colder months. The second was the Silk Room, a picture gallery lined with green silk that displayed his personal collection of paintings. Following Leighton’s death, the building was transformed into a museum, undergoing several alterations over the course of the 20th century. Among these changes were the construction of the Perrin Wing and an infill extension beneath the Winter Studio to provide facilities for a children’s library.
These modifications served to alter the building’s original identity as a home and personal studio, turning it into a venue for a more generalised museum and events space. In the process, many of the interior fittings
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
© RBKC; image courtesy Jaron James
and finishes were lost. BDP’s Artis asserts that the 20th-century additions, which were carried out by the municipal Borough Works Department, were of “lower quality and value, and obscured the reading and understanding of the original house.” Responding to this, the ‘Closer to Home’ project, initiated in 2008, began the process of restoring the interiors. It focused on redecorating the spaces back to how they were based on historic photographs while returning items from Leighton’s original collection back into the house.
Building on this work (by Purcell
Miller Triton, undertaken in 2010), BDP’s phase in this historic journey looks at restoring further aspects of the home. The refurbishment project focuses on the reconfiguration of the building’s facilities to appear as how Leighton and Aitchison originally envisioned while establishing a museum that meets the needs of new audiences without affecting the integrity of the original designs.
Selective restoration projects of this nature are well within BDP’s capabilities, as evidenced by their portfolio of heritage sites, museums, and visitor destinations.
ADF JUNE 2023
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70
