Introduction
" ... the Wallace Collection is beginning to attain its rightful position. The once dank central courtyard has been transformed by an airy glass roof .... At last the Wallace Collection, which until now has had hardly any space beyond its primary galleries, has the room and facilities to make the most of its great collection. The result is impressive. Already visitors have tripled."
Giles Worsley
The New York Times
Exploiting the full potential of the building provides the museum with new space to display their entire collection, including the hitherto unseen Reserve Collection. A central focus for the building was created by glazing over the courtyard to form a sculpture court and restaurant. Technically challenging underpinning and full excavation of the basement yielded space for the new galleries and educational facilities including a lecture theatre, extensive archive space and the only open-access museum library in London. The existing galleries remained open to the public throughout construction. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, opened the new facilities in June 2000 on the Centenary of the Collection's bequest to the nation.
The Wallace Collection held a limited competition in 1995 for its Centenary Project, the last chance to expand the gallery within the existing fabric on its landlocked site. The purpose of this project was to safeguard the collection's physical and financial future. The competition brief included expansion of the galleries to enable the display of the entire collection, improved educational, library and archive facilities, and a new cafe. The brief was developed with the key members of the staff involved in each department.
The whole of the hitherto unseen Study and Fakes Reserve Collections are now on public view, displayed in a series of galleries that extend into the original museum basement and coal vaults. Space is also provided for a new education facility and lecture theatre; a gallery for temporary exhibitions; a gallery to display the Wallace's collection of Watercolours and Miniatures; an extensive archive space; and the museum library. New glass and pre-cast stone stairs connect the enlarged lower courtyard improving the link between the two levels.
The upper courtyard was covered with a lightweight glass roof (manufactured in Prague) which enabled the creation of a Sculpture Court, animated by a cafe, which is now the central focus of the whole building. The court, which is a tempered, daylit and unconditioned space to accommodate selected items of sculpture, also provides greater accessibility to the gallery spaces. The successful new cafe has zinc-clad waiter stations, with a bar concealing the dumbwaiters which rise discreetly from the new kitchen below.
Museum Practice Magazine
Clear Vision
Javier Pes - Summer 2009
Interior Digest
A quiet American
Alyona Anist - June 03
The New York Times
The Galleries of London Seen with Fresh Eyes
Giles Worsley - 7 Jan 01
The New York Times
An American expatriate sheds light on London
Tracie Rozhon - 5 April 01
The Spectator
London's new Chambers of Horror and three success stories
Paul Johnson - 20 Jan 01
Architecture Today
Hidden treasure
Nov 00
Royal Academy magazine
New Faces
Gillian Darley - Summer 00
Evening Standard
Summer on a plate
Philipa Stockley - 21 June 00
Observer
First you don't see it - now you do
Deyan Sudjic - 4 June 00
Building Design
Rick'll fix it
Catherine Croft - 2 June 00
Building
Art Explosion
Martin Spring - 26 May 00
The Art Newspaper
London's most popular museum architect - Rick Mather times three
Cristina Ruiz, Giulia Ajmone, Martin Bailey - May 97
Building Design
Blowing the dust of a hidden jewel
Lee Mallett - 6 May 95
Architects' Journal
Wallace tranbsformation
27 Apr 95
Client
The Wallace Collection
Location
Westminster, London, UK
Size
5,850m²
Value
£10m
Completed
Nov 00
Supported by
Heritage Lottery Fund