Case Study
Client: The Victoria & Albert Museum
Architect: A_LA
Consulting Engineers: ARUP
Principal Contractor: Wates Construction
Specialist Contractor: Stonewest
Services Provided: Alteration & Intervention, Conservation & Hard Landscaping
Project Overview
The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is a Grade I Listed Building and is the World’s largest museum of decorative arts and design. Founded in 1857 it was extended from 1899 when Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone for the new building along Exhibition Road and Cromwell Road. The building is constructed of a mixture of materials including marble, terracotta, faience, Portland stone, ceramic’s, porcelain to name but a few.
Stonewest carried out various elements of specialist stonework as part of a major £70 million project to provide new halls and exhibition areas.
Key Successes
- Dismantle and remove from site the first two stone course foundations (for re-use)
- Clean stonework walls to match existing
- Clean brickwork back to original finish
- Clean terracotta to detailed specification
- Stone indent repairs to ached security grille location
- New Portland stone to window elements including:
- Transoms
- Mullions
- Jambs
- Window sills
- Infill redundant vents with brickwork
- Infill door openings with brickwork
- Form openings where identified
- Carve out openings in solid stone for glazed frame fixings
- Build new brickwork arches
- Remove defective carved terracotta sections and replace with new
- Alterations to existing terracotta openings
- Make good terracotta reveals
- Remove marble surrounds to radiators and put aside for re-use
- Remove marble skirting
- Form grooves in existing stair fabric for asphalt skirting
- Lay marble floor
