William Morris Gallery
Walthamstow, Waltham Forest, London
Following a competitive process, our practice was appointed to design the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. We took the project through the Heritage Lottery Fund application and completed the building in time for the 2012 Olympics (allowing Waltham Forest to receive part of the funds an Olympic borough). The project won the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in 2013.
We undertook both the building and exhibition design, developing the interpretation strategy in collaboration with BT Museum Consultancy and Thomas Manss & Co. through our exhibition design consultancy GuM Studio. The exhibition design won the prize for the Best Permanent Exhibition in the M&H Awards in 2013.
The William Morris Gallery occupies the Grade II* listed Water House, former family home of the artist. The house is set in its own grounds on the edge of Lloyd and Aveling Park. The gallery, opened in 1950 by Prime Minister Clement Attlee, was the only public museum devoted to William Morris, containing an internationally important collection (c. 9,000 items) illustrating his life, work and influence.
The main elements of the project were:
- Additional exhibition space for the permanent collection
- New environmentally controlled collections store in the basement
- New purpose-built special exhibition gallery
- New learning centre including lecture and workshop activities
- Dedicated library and research room
- New catering facility/ tearoom
- New step-free access arrangements for disabled visitors and staff
- Additional WCs, with accessible provision.
Tristram Hunt wrote in the Guardian:
"The result is a triumph. The gallery does so much: it positions Morris within the topography of north-east London as it edges into Epping Forest and Essex; it explains the roots of his gothicism and relationship with Ruskinian design; it describes the birth of his commercial practice and commodification of style; it deftly charts the nature of his socialism and how his art interacted with his politics; and it explores his remarkable cultural legacy.
The gallery does all this with scholarship and insight in an open and accessible style. There is no dumbing down here, but a great programme of outreach. No compromise on aesthetic and curatorial excellence, but an equal commitment to ensuring that as many people as possible come to understand the importance and wonder of William Morris."
Awards
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2013
Museums & Heritage Award 2013 - Best Permanent Exhibition
Architect of the Year Award 2013 - Public Building finalist
Civic Trust 2013 - Regional finalist
European Museum of the Year Award 2014
London Planning Award 2014
Consultants
Exhibition Design: GuM Studio
Interpretation: BT Museum Consultancy
Graphic Design: Thomas Manss & Company
Landscape: Plincke Landscape
Engineering: Ramboll UK
Lighting: DHA Designs
CDM Coordination: Faithful+Gould
Project Management: WSP Group
Cost: Gardiner & Theobald