St Albans Museum and Art Gallery Building, Hertfordshire Architecture, Planning Approval News

St Albans Museum and Art Gallery

Development in Herts, southeast England, UK – design by John McAslan + Partners, Architects

12 Jan 2016

St Albans Museum and Gallery Building in Hertfordshire

Design: John McAslan + Partners Architects

Planning approval granted for St Albans City Museum and Art Gallery

The Rt Hon Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, has authorised St Albans City and District Council to grant planning permission and listed building consent for conversion of the former Town Hall and Courtroom into the new St Albans City Museum and Art Gallery. Construction is scheduled to commence in spring 2016, with the new museum and gallery opening in autumn 2017.

St Albans Museum and Gallery:

John McAslan + Partners’ refurbishment and adaptive reuse of this nationally important historic building includes restoration of the Town Hall’s impressive first-floor Assembly Room as a gallery to showcase the rich history of St Albans City. New glazed ‘wings” at the first-floor level will allow visitors to circulate around the building and enjoy stunning views of the surrounding townscape and cathedral. A new environmentally-controlled gallery at the lower ground-floor level will house touring exhibitions and contemporary art shows. Alongside the new gallery spaces, the historic courtroom will be refurbished as a creative educational resource and cafe’s extra seating area, with visitors able to explore its Victorian cells in the basement below. On the ground floor, visitor information centre, cafe, further exhibition and educational spaces will help transform the building into a major cultural destination for the City.

Councilor Annie Brewster, Portfolio Holder for Sport, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: “We are honoured that the Heritage Lottery Fund is giving this flagship City project its prestigious backing. In 1831 St Albans Town Hall and Courthouse was built for public use. We aim to turn it into a fitting cultural beacon right in the heart of our City for all to access freely. John McAslan + Partners’ stunning design has ensured we are now well on our way to creating a spectacular new landmark museum and art gallery with three floors of galleries and exhibition space for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

New glazed ‘wings” at the first-floor level:

Hannah Lawson, director at John Mcaslan + Partners, said: “We are delighted that our transformative scheme for this important historic building is going ahead. The new museum and gallery will create an exciting cultural destination in the heart of St Albans City.”

Robyn llewellyn, Head of HLF East of England, said: “This ambitious redevelopment project will create a ‘one-stop shop’ – celebrating local heritage and culture – right in the centre of St Albans. This exciting scheme will provide a much-needed boost to both the local economy and tourism, providing a wonderful opportunity for people to explore the wider history of this beautiful city. It is also fitting that we thank National Lottery players for helping bring this vision, with heritage at its heart, one step closer to realisation.”

St Albans Museum and Gallery Hertfordshire – Architects Information

John McAslan + Partners is a leading, international architectural practice based in London, with further offices in edinburgh and Doha. An extensive portfolio of award-winning projects in the UK and overseas includes cultural, heritage, infrastructure, hospitality, commercial, residential, education, urban design and landscape sectors. The practice recently opened a second London office, the N17 Design Studio, in the heart of Tottenham. in addition to exploring local urban regeneration projects, the new studio offers local young people apprenticeships and work placements.

The practice has an established reputation both for new build projects and for the imaginative regeneration of historic buildings. Notable examples of the latter include the acclaimed transformation of King’s Cross Station (which has won some 30 international awards), the recently completed Library and Student Hub at the University of Cumbria, the De La Warr Pavilion, the redevelopment of the Heal’s building, Friends House and the Roundhouse in Camden.

The practice is currently working on a wide range of significant cultural projects internationally, including a masterplan for Canada’s leading museum, the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria, as well as a new Cultural Forum in Doha which will be a dynamic civic hub bringing together Qatari and international artists, performers and the public. in Moscow, the practice’s design for a new Museum of Russian impressionist Art is on site, part of the wider regeneration of the historic Bolshevik Factory. The practice has an impressive breadth of masterplanning experience in the cultural sector, including a spatial masterplan for The Courtauld institute of Art, one of the world’s leading centres for the study of art history and conservation, as well as a strategic masterplan for the Museum of London.

The practice has won in excess of 180 international and national awards, including some 30 RiBA Awards, and has been named Architectural Practice of the Year and World Architect of the Year on a number of occasions. Most recently the Lancaster University engineering Building won the British Construction industry’s ‘Project of the Year’ Award. The practice has won three europa Nostra Awards, the eU’s Prize for Cultural Heritage, and is also the recipient of the prestigious Queen’s Award for enterprise (international Trade).

St Albans Museum and Gallery Building in Hertfordshire images / information from John Mcaslan + Partners, Architects

John McAslan + Partners Architects

Website: St Albans Museum and Gallery

Address: Museum of St. Albans, 9A Hatfield Rd, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3RR
Phone: 01727 819340

Location: 9A Hatfield Rd, St Albans, Hertfordshire AL1 3RR, England, UK

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photo © Giles Rocholl Photography
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