Thursday 3 July 2014

Victoria Park - St Helens almost complete

A great link to the Facebook page - Friends of Victoria Park site, showing the progress made in 2014 on this HLF-funded Parks for People project.
https://www.facebook.com/fovpsth

A really interesting project to have advised on; the main challenge for the architect - to create a new conservatory on the footprint of the original Messenger conservatory, at the same time satisfying both Building Regs. (as a new building that will perform in an energy efficient way) and meets the needs of the users (Age UK) at the Mansion House.  A difficult challenge for the Design Team to meet these needs and at the same time produce a traditional design. 
Both the walled garden and the gate-lodge are looking dramatic, crisp and elegant (July 2014), as befitting the Italianate Revival architecture.  The natural fit and simplicity of the details disguises all the hard work, research and high specification that has gone into the scheme - a measure of good conservation.

Gate Lodge - the cracked bay window
before recording & dismantling
Gate Lodge - the same bay window with
stucco removed & sample panel of render

Chimney stack prior to recording and removal of stucco 
Stucco being applied to chimney by Ornate Interiors;
each individual dentil moulding is applied
separately by hand
Walled garden (above and below) - the back wall of the
conservatory prior to restoration. There was little
surviving historic detail. The restoration has involved
using historic photographic evidence and experience
to establish the precise details of the missing rusticated
stucco pilasters, copings and stone ball finials.


Greenbank Hall - restoration of Georgian mansion now on site

The restoration of the Georgian mansion on Eaton Road in Chester is underway!!   Our Conservation Management Plan is complete and I will upload photos of work as it progresses on site during the summer and autumn.  Schemeglobal Properties (Chester) Ltd. are the developer and Owen Ellis Architects are acting project architects for the refurbishment, restoration and new build.  It promises to be a fantastic development of contemporary houses within the grounds of the Mansion and an exemplary restoration of a sad, down-at-heel, mansion which was developed by John Swarbeck Rogers, a Chester Mayor, in the 1820s to show off his new status in society.  It was last used as an educational building but a legacy of this use has left the building bereft of details, many of which are being restored.