Restoration at Leighton House Museum: Hidden Gem to National Treasure

 

It is an incredibly exciting moment for Leighton House Museum. We are witnessing the final phase of a master plan that commenced in 2008 and which will transform the Museum and the experience we can offer our visitors. Thank you for supporting this journey, we cannot wait to show you the ‘new’ Leighton House Museum and celebrate together.

Daniel Robbins, Senior Curator

 

Leighton House Museum is currently undergoing a major restoration and refurbishment project due to be completed in spring 2021. This is the third phase of an award-winning master plan that commenced in 2008, aimed at reinstating the house interiors as Leighton knew them. It focusses on the two unsympathetic additions made to the east end of the house in the twentieth century, long after Leighton’s death.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Perrin Wing supporting the Original House to create an enhanced visitor experience

 

MORE PUBLIC SPACE, ACCESS FOR ALL

Through Hidden Gem to National Treasure, these additions will be transformed, allowing for:

 

• Disabled access to all public parts of the building.
• The recovery and restoration of the original architecture lost in later additions.
• Improved visitor facilities, including a new café, shop, cloakrooms and reception.
• New permanent displays on Leighton, the history of the house and the ‘Holland Park Circle’ of neighbouring artists’ studio-houses.
• A new gallery dedicated to the display of drawings and works on paper.
• Purpose-built collections and archives store.
• A dedicated education suite in the basement of the historic house.
• Leighton’s entrance hall and winter studio to be reintegrated into the sequence of historic interiors, completing the presentation of the house as he left it.

 

The creation of these new facilities has minimal impact on the historic fabric of this unique building and in fact takes the pressure off the historic house, allowing it to be better preserved and cared for into the future, whilst also providing a richer and fulfilling visitor experience.

 

Architects:  BDP

Project Managers:  Gardiner & Theobald

Principal Contractor:  Quinn London Ltd

Quantity Surveyors:  Jackson Coles

 

PROJECT FUNDING AND DONATIONS

The £7.8 million project has made possible thanks to a community-focused partnership between The Friends of Leighton House (FLH), the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The support of FLH and NLHF will allow for the restoration of the historic fabric, create new displays, learning spaces, offices and storage area for art collections. The Royal Borough as caretaker and landlord of the House, has contribute to this project from its capital reserves, funding essential maintenance works including improving toilet facilities, additional cloakrooms and for the first time, making the Museum accessible to all.

 

Get involved

The Friends of Leighton House continue to fundraise for essential conservation work to be carried out to the permanent collection, the presentation of the new displays, the redesigning and replanting of the Museum's unique garden and the fit out of the new learning space.

Find out more about the work of The Friends of Leighton House on the Hidden Gem to National Treasure project.

 

Supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund