|

The project involved the insertion of a new gallery into the historic fabric of the Vulcan Building in Portsmouth, a former store house which supplied the Royal Navy between 1914 and the 1970s. The design reflects the historically sensitive site. The architect’s approach was to differentiate between old and new. Old brickwork was cleaned but not such much as to remove its sensual quality. The huge timber doors and shutters were left untouched. A new two storey section has been slotted into the old. This steel structure is carefully integrated with the original; there is glass cladding to the offices on the upper floors and polished concrete floors. In contrast, the gallery space is a simple white box.