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PROJECT REPORT: CULTURAL, CIVIC & FAITH BUILDINGS
All images on spread © RBKC; courtesy Dirk Lindner
ONENESS
A mural entitled ‘Oneness’ by Shahrzad Ghaffari features in the new stair rotunda that forms the centre- piece of the project
where a new office deck was integrated within the volume of the upper gallery space for staff use. The glazing used here was to “divorce the various elements in a relatively neutral way.”
The architects’ focus was to ensure a harmonious integration of the distinct qualities of both the old and new designs, while “preserving their individual character and identity.”
The masonry infill underneath the
Winter Studio, undertaken as part of the 1950s interventions, had encased the iron columns in brick, meaning it couldn’t be ‘read’ as an elevated element, say BDP. They successfully addressed this issue by removing the masonry, revealing and restoring the columns and plinths to their former glory. Artis explains how while this was “technically not too challenging,” the necessary restoration of the original brickwork was “extensive.”
Basement & rotunda Given the delicate nature of the setting, the original basement has been extended to accommodate new visitor amenities, display and ‘interpretation space,’ and an archive store, as well as a
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gallery dedicated to showcasing Leighton’s previously unseen collection of drawings. This subterranean extension was the “preferred way to deliver the majority of the additional brief area with minimal external impact,” say the architects. At the eastern end of the basement, a new rotunda is a focal point containing a stair and lift, its location being the “most logical in terms of circulation and wayfinding.” It creates a circuit of movement that encourages the use of the basement as an accessible education and learning area. To pay homage to the elements of the original design, the rotunda features a brick ‘jacket’ that references the details in Arab Hall using a series of 15 bespoke bricks, plus bespoke radial bricks. The rotunda’s form is a “reflection of the apse that terminates the west end of the building,” say the architects, while its colour and banding detailing provides a “tonal bridge” between the Perrin Wing and the original house’s brickwork.
The interior of the helical staircase features a hand-painted mural by artist Shahrzad Ghaffari titled ‘Oneness’, which in many ways is a “synthesis of what the museum represents
ADF JUNE 2023
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