GALLERY | Inside Walker Art Gallery’s £4.5m refurb
The reopening of the Liverpool museum’s Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque displays marks the conclusion of a multi-year renovation.
Conservation architect Donald Insall Associates, M&E design engineer Max Fordham, and main contractor Krol Corlett Construction oversaw the £4.5m scheme, which involved roof repairs, environmental control upgrades, and ceiling restoration.
“The Walker Art Gallery is a Liverpool landmark, recognisable by its grand Neoclassical façade with Corinthian columns supporting the portico,” said Elgan Jones, an associate at Donald Insall. “Developing the designs alongside a passionate client team, specialist consultants, and contractors has been a true privilege.”
Simon Krol, director of Krol Corlett Construction, echoed Jones’ remarks.
“To have the opportunity to work on a building such as the Walker Art Gallery does not come along every day,” Krol said.
“I am extremely honoured and proud that Krol Corlett can be linked in some small way in the repair and restoration of the fabulous building, securing its future for our children and our children’s children for years to come.”
Regarding the refurbished galleries’ fit-out, National Museums Liverpool’s own Creative Studio led the effort. Erco was charged with light fittings, Meyvaert with display cases, Leach with graphics, and Bensons and Workhaus with setworks.
Work started on the Walker Art Gallery upgrades in 2021. Central government contributed £4m towards the project, as well as other schemes at National Museums Liverpool.
The Walker Art Gallery is celebrating the reopening of Rooms One to Four with a new exhibition. Credit: Peter Carr for National Museums Liverpool
With the completion of the scheme, the museum is once more able to display its collection of sculptures, jewellery, and other paintings in Rooms One to Four. These rooms were constructed in 1933 as an extension to the 1877 building.
Jones explained a bit more about the history of the extension.
“The 1930s wing, the focus of the recent work, was added to rival the rise in postwar popularity of ballrooms and cinemas which offered people vital and desired escapism and provided additional accommodation to display its collection,” he said.
“As such, its design reflected a more exuberant American-influenced interrelation of classicism, a symbol of modernism and new technologies. An important aspect of its design was the use of new scientific principles, particularly its heating and lighting.”
In the 1960s, suspended ceilings were introduced – and they were one of the first things removed during the renovation project.
“We sought to undo the unsympathetic 1960s changes and carefully repair the ornate plastered ceilings and the historic laylights,” Jones said.
“The main design challenge was developing a mechanical and electrical strategy around the historic fabric and interiors whilst providing the required environmental conditions to conserve the internationally significant collection and achieve appropriate lighting, heating, and ventilation conditions to support the visitor experience.”
Donald Insall Associates, Max Fordham, and Krol Corlett Construction were on the project team. Credit: Peter Carr for National Museums Liverpool
National Museums Liverpool is celebrating the reopening of the rooms at the gallery with a new exhibition, “Renaissance Rediscovered”, which features work by Titian, Lavinia Fontana, and Peter Paul Rubens. The exhibition is funded by Art Friends Merseyside, Henry Moore Foundation, Art Fund, and the Tavolozza Foundation.
“We are thrilled to be returning the rare and exceptional paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts from our Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque collections to permanent display in stunning, refurbished galleries,” said Kate O’Donoghue, curator of international fine art at Walker Art Gallery.
“Accompanied by new perspectives and fresh interpretation which breathes new life into a historic collection, this is a significant moment in the history of the Walker,” O’Donoghue continued.
“We are hugely grateful to the UK Government and our other partners, including Art Fund, for their support in creating these beautiful spaces and ensuring these works can continued to be enjoyed into the future.”
The Walker Art Gallery sits off William Brown Street in Liverpool. The museum is free and open to the public every day between 10am and 5pm during the school summer holidays.
Click on any image to launch gallery. All images by Peter Carr for National Museums Liverpool.
- The Walker Art Gallery has reopened Rooms One to Four. Credit: Peter Carr for National Museums Liverpool
