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PROJECT REPORT: HERITAGE & HISTORIC
© Norfolk Museums Service PEELING BACK THE LAYERS
Despite a series of interventions to the castle over the years, there was a realisation that the core of the complex – the keep – needed radical improvements to remedy 19th century additions
parties, we had to explain the issue, and the need for a big change to the design intent.” Punching through the three-metre thick keep walls to create new access was another source of contention, requiring millimetre precision to avoid historic features. In addition, designing authentic-looking oak fi re doors and adapting Victorian-era rooftop handrails to meet current Building Regs required extensive design iteration and liaison with experts to agree on a solution.
People’s palace
The richly layered history of Norwich Castle involved several changes over the past two decades, including works on the keep roof, improvements to physical access and connectivity and better environmental control in gallery spaces. But despite these interventions, there was a realisation that the core of the museum complex, the castle keep, needed radical improvements to address alterations when
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the former prison was converted into a County Museum in the 19th century. Limited vertical circulation and escape routes and a lack of space in galleries meant that only 150 people could visit the keep at any one time, limiting the museum’s income.
Other problems identifi ed by the client included poor reception areas and wayfi nding in the museum, a lack of visitor awareness of the keep once they were inside the museum, and a complicated internal fl oor confi guration.
Feilden+Mawson was appointed to develop the design at RIBA Stage 2, and its scheme focuses on two critical but opposing requirements. The fi rst is to return the keep to its original medieval layout circa 1121, reinstating the original principal fl oor where the King’s Chamber and Great Hall were once located (in the 12th century there was only a basement, a principal fl oor and the roof). The second is to maximise
ADF JUNE 2026
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