Leighton House Museum, an extraordinary artist studio house in Kensington, will open on Saturday 3rd April following an extensive £1.6 million refurbishment overseen by Purcell Miller Tritton.
Created by and home to the eminent Victorian painter Frederic Leighton, the house is now owned by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. It has been closed to the public since November 2008 while a programme of refurbishment and restoration has been undertaken. Purcell Miller Tritton has worked closely with the museum's creators, historic building specialists and skilled contractors to complete the project.
The project, which has been carried out in phases, began on site in 2007 with repairs to make the walls, roofs and windows secure. This phase also saw the reinstatement of the exotic brick 'ziggurats' that ran around the Arab Hall and Silk Room parapets. Derived from stepped pyramid profiles, the original ziggurats were removed in 1959. They have been painstakingly restored using carefully detailed hand-made bricks.
The recently completed phase of refurbishment of the historic interiors began with the replacement of aged and inefficient electrical cabling and heating systems. The rooms were then carefully conserved in preparation for the re-presentation of Leighton's original decorations, furnishings and historic lighting. The museum's collections have been newly displayed within enhanced, environmentally managed conditions.
"Our client's desire was to bring the house back to Leighton's architectural vision," said Dante Vanoli, the architect responsible for the project. "Through new research and paint analysis, we have endeavoured to recreate the unique character of Leighton's decorative scheme within his 'private palace of art'. We have revealed previously closed off rooms and restored lost architectural and decorative features, such as fire surrounds, silk hangings and the Arab Hall's spectacular gilded dome, to understand how this marvellous building appeared and functioned at the time of Leighton's death in 1896."
As a renowned Victorian artist, Lord Leighton acquired a fantastic collection of art, and the re-opening of the museum will see the return of more than 20 paintings, which will hang in their original locations for the first time since his death. Loans have been agreed from some of the most prestigious galleries in the country, including the National Gallery, the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery among others.
Commenting on the project, Mark Hammond, Head of the Cultural sector at Purcell Miller Tritton, said, "The museum provides an extraordinary insight into Lord Leighton's world and is a unique venue for the understanding and appreciation of Victorian art and architecture. The building itself is of huge historical importance and is home to a fantastic collection of priceless art. We are delighted that we have been able to play a part in bringing it back to its former glory."