From Blueprints to Legacy on National Engineering Day

November 14, 2024

A striking new statue of a Macclesfield-based woman engineer has been unveiled at the Royal Academy of Engineering to mark National Engineering Day 2024. The vibrant, modern design depicts manufacturing engineer Alice Kan and has been specially designed by visual artist and designer Kelly Anna.

Visitors to the new Engineering Role Model statue will also be able to experience the innovative garden entrance to the building, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer, in which the statue sits. Built in 2011 by a group of young engineering apprentices from Babcock International Group, the ‘S’-shaped bridge fuses engineering, art and architecture to create an elegant walkway.

Some of those apprentices, now working as engineers with Babcock, revisited the Academy to view Kelly Anna’s statue to see how their sinuous bridge has taken its place in the John Browne garden, named after Past President of the Academy Lord Browne of Madingley FREng FRS.

Babcock Chief People Officer Louise Atkinson (L) and vaccine manufacturing engineer Alice Kan. Credit: Babcock

The garden entrance was created as part of BFFs 2011 remodelling of the Academy’s Listed Grade I headquarters. The interiors had been substantially altered by successive owners over its history and suffered bomb damage during the Second World War and severe fire damage in 1989. BFF’s refurbishment removed unsympathetic 20th Century alterations and reinstated the scale and integrity of the principal rooms. The new sinuous bridge, provides a single accessible entrance through No 3 Carlton House Terrace for all visitors to the Forum, rising gradually across the forecourt to make up the level difference between the pavements and reception.

The design of the bridge was inspired by a winding picturesque garden path envisaged, but never built, for the premises by the 19th century architect Decimus Burton. It rises gradually to make up the level difference from the pavement to the entrance and is framed by a striking planting scheme designed by Andy Sturgeon, multiple Gold Medal winner at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

A dozen engineering apprentices and technicians, then aged 17-20, under the project management of Babcock’s Director of Operations, Marine, Joe Doogan, took a complex and novel design by architects Burrell Foley Fischer and constructed the seven tonne bridge that is now as much a landmark as the Grade 1 listed building it adjoins.

Kelly Anna’s sculpture of Alice Kan will be on display at the Academy from 13 until 20 November. Alice, based in Macclesfield, played a pivotal role in the manufacture of the COVID-19 vaccine and is now working on vaccines for Ebola. She was nominated as the Academy’s ‘Engineering Role Model’ through a public vote and selected from over 150 nominations.

Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says:

“Having someone to look up to is cited as a key reason why young people pursue a particular passion or career. But with only 15.7% women and 12.4% minority ethnic representation in UK engineering, it's crucial that we recruit new engineers from all parts of society to build a more inclusive future.
“That is why for this year’s National Engineering Day we have commissioned an exciting new statue of manufacturing engineer Alice Kan to challenge stereotypes and get people talking about contemporary engineers and the fascinating work they do. We are delighted to have the support of Babcock International, who are an exemplar in training and development of their young engineers, and it’s great to welcome some of their former apprentices to the Academy today to see Kelly Anna’s striking new statue in situ on the bridge they built for us over a decade ago.”

Louise Atkinson, Chief People Officer at Babcock, commented:

“The theme of role models for this year’s National Engineering Day is such an important one, interlinked with culture and legacy. At Babcock, we have some amazing people that inspire me every day. Attracting great talent for businesses like ours is a challenge for many in the current climate, but once they join us, they tend to stay. The fact that this group of apprentices have stayed with Babcock and have built their careers here is testament to that. So today is a real celebration not just of role models, but the mentors that helped them and help make the world a better place for us all.”

Brighton University moves into refurbished Falmer Campus

October 23, 2024

A major redevelopment of the university's Falmer campus has now been completed, enabling courses which had previously been taught more than 20 miles away in Eastbourne to relocate to Brighton from this September. The work to improve and expand Falmer campus – home to the university’s School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences – has included the creation of world-class facilities to support teaching, learning and research. Burrell Foley Fischer were the Masterplanners and Architects for the project.

Each year, almost 1,000 University of Brighton students begin their careers in the NHS and wider health sector after graduating. New facilities at Falmer have been designed to replicate the professional spaces in which Brighton students will work in their future careers, with bespoke labs and teaching facilities for students studying subjects including paramedic science, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery, and sports and exercise science.

These facilities include a range of equipment to support both teaching and research and will be used by students, staff and in collaboration with partners. They include a Gait Analysis track with 3D motion analysis camera technology, laboratories measuring and predicting the impact of extreme environmental conditions on the human body, blood analysis facilities, an occupational therapy daily living suite, simulated hospital wards and a 360-degree virtual reality simulation suite.

The Falmer campus also now offers improved sport and leisure opportunities for students, staff and the local community following the creation of the new Brighton Sport & Health Complex on the site of the former Virgin Active health club. Facilities on offer include dance and spin studios, football and rugby pitches, netball, badminton, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts, gymnastics area, an indoor swimming pool and large gym and fitness suite.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, Interim Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said:

“The completion of this major investment programme at the Falmer campus is the latest part of our long-term strategy to provide the best possible experience for our students. The Falmer campus is now one of the region’s biggest hubs for sport and health learning, teaching and research, alongside our already outstanding teacher training provision. Working with our partners in the education and health sectors, we’re creating the next generation of public sector professionals that our city and our region needs and helping solve global challenges through our ground-breaking research.”

Dr Angela Glynn, Dean of the School of Education, Sport and Health Sciences, said:

“Our improved Falmer campus now brings together all our education, sport and health courses on one amazing site. The facilities on offer provide a wide range of exciting opportunities for our students to study and learn through hands-on activities and simulations that replicate what they will encounter in the world of work. These new facilities are already providing a major boost to our students’ university experience and will equip our graduates with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities they need to thrive in their future careers.”

BFF have been assisting the University with strategic planning since 2019, designing the masterplans for the future developments of their four campuses based on extensive space utilisation studies. This masterplan is being implemented in phases, the first of which focused on the relocation of key teaching and learning activities to the Moulescoomb Campus for the School of Humanities and Social Science and was completed in 2023.

York Guildhall shortlisted for National 2024 RTPI Award for Excellence in Planning

October 17, 2024

The restoration and remodelling of the Grade I, II* and II Listed York Guildhall is a Finalist in the 2024 RTPI National Awards for Planning Excellence. It is shortlisted in the Excellence in Planning for Heritage and Culture category, which “recognises projects that drive economic success and promote a sustainable and thriving future for our communities”.

York Guildhall is one of the city’s most significant heritage assets dating from the 15th century, with a prominent position on the north bank of the River Ouse. When City of York Council resolved to move out of the Guildhall in January 2012 securing an appropriate, sustainable and beneficial future use for the riverside complex which had been the seat of city governance for over 600 years became a key concern for the city. A venue was envisaged to support and nurture the expansion of York’s vibrant businesses.

There was a core requirement for modern flexible office space and the associated provision of multipurpose space to suit a variety of potential uses such as co-working/ conferencing/ meeting and events and exhibition space. The complex also needed to accommodate elements of commercial space, including a restaurant and cafe bar, to provide support to the core uses and assist financial sustainability.

The existing buildings were on the Heritage at Risk register and the tower in particular needed significant stabilisation works. The Guildhall itself needed to be comprehensively refurbished to improve its usability; specifically including new heating and electrical services. The Guildhall forms one of the key tourist views in York, so the new element had to be sensitive to its surroundings, and planners wanted noise and visual impact to neighbours kept to a minimum.

Burrell Foley Fischer’s scheme, through sensitive planning and an understanding of the balance between new and existing, volume and space, has met the Council’s brief. A comprehensive refurbishment of the existing buildings, together with strategic new build interventions has re-purposed the complex for a new sustainable use.

The site contains a series of intimate, linked public spaces, connected by small “ginells” and the new build elements include the continuation of this language, to create a new riverside courtyard / garden across two levels of river front terraces, while improving public access and the general quality of the public realm throughout the complex.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London next month.

Plans to secure the future of Widford Church

October 08, 2024

The PCC of St John the Baptist Church Widford are consulting on plans, developed in collaboration with Burrell Foley Fischer, to modernise part of the church building. Their aim is that relatively minor internal alterations to the building, will result in huge improvements in the way in which the church is currently perceived and used by the local community and congregation. They envisage that the remodelled building will be used to host new community groups for the village, as well as resurrect some that have been lost over the years.

St John the Baptist is a largely 14th Century church, incorporating fabric and arch fragments of early 12th Century, and a 15th Century tower. It is Grade II* listed. The building is of flint and stone construction in tile Decorated and Perpendicular styles. It consists of Chancel, Nave, South Porch and an embattled Western Tower of Transition Norman date. The spire is made of copper and was rebuilt in 1888 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee. The tiled wagon roof of the nave and chancel dates from 1868 when it replaced a lower and flatter original roof.

The PCC’s plans include creating a community café for simply catching up with friends or meeting up with bereavement groups, youth groups, and mothers and toddlers, to name just a few. There is also the aim to offer a permanent home for the incredible village archive, currently being stored in somebody’s loft, to enable this fascinating collection of historical documents to become more accessible to all ages.

The completed project will:

Significantly open up and reveal the space at the back of the church both visually and in terms of use.
Create a safer, more spacious and welcoming well-lit area for people to gather at the back of church which can then be used for a multiple of different uses.
Give a better appreciation and view of the roof and tower arch because the beam that is currently directly in front of the tower will be removed to allow the head-height required for an access to the bellringing gallery floor.
Provide a bellringing floor constructed as a simple plain structure with a minimal clear glass balustrade. The highly regarded bellringing team and the bellringing function in the church will become a more visible feature and attribute.
Create a fully accessible space with a disabled persons toilet, a kitchenette/ servery for light refreshments, a visitors cloaks cupboard, a new archive room with material for exhibitions and working.
Provide a new level and adequate wheelchair route leading from the existing path to the tower door.
Provide an enhanced area for musical events (accompanied by the very fine organ), performance and exhibition events.
Provide the perfect conditions required to house the Widford Archive on a permanent loan basis.

Revealing their plans the PCC said:

“This is the biggest project Widford church has undertaken since 1868, and there’s a good reason. If we don’t act now, within the next 10 years the congregation and regular donors simply won’t be able to keep up the church’s annual running costs. Therefore it’s really important that we act now to ensure our beautiful, historical church is still here, in every capacity, for future generations to enjoy too.”

Helen Grassly to address the 2024 Theatres Trust conference

October 04, 2024

The Theatres Trust have invited Helen Grassly, the Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Project Director for many of the practice’s theatre projects, to address their 2024 conference. Helen will be participating in the ever-popular Capital Lightning Round, which allows delegates to delve into recent and current theatre capital projects which aim to drive their theatres beyond mere resilience towards positive transformation.

The Theatres Trust is the national advice and advocacy body for the UK’s theatres, supporting all forms of theatres, whether old or new, commercial, subsidised or community-run. They protect theatres and champion the future of live performance by advising and supporting the nation’s theatres to develop best practice in design and management following the four principles of resilience, environmental sustainability, inclusivity and placemaking. The theme of this year’s conference is “Making Theatres Thrive”. Their stated aims for the event are:

“People, places and purpose are at the heart of our theatres. This year’s conference looks at how they are enablers in Making Theatres Thrive.
As we emerge post-pandemic into new social, economic, environmental contexts and reimagined places, we need to re-examine how theatres can reinforce their role in placemaking, contributing to vibrant and liveable communities and creating a resilient future for all. We will look at cultural placemaking with senior local government officials who develop the big picture and theatres will share how they are playing a more central civic as well as cultural role.
The conference recognises the dynamics and nuances at play in the shifting contexts in which theatres operate. It will showcase alternative and flexible business and operating models and what this might practically mean for resilience for theatres large and small.”

Helen will be presenting the designs for the restoration and remodelling of the Scala Theatre, a former 1920s cinema, and the connected Grade II listed Corn Exchange in Worcester, to form a new multi-use Arts Centre for the City. The venue’s aim is to bring people together and make the city a more creative and inspiring place to live. Scala will host live events alongside independent film, visual arts, and a wide range of participation-based creative activities, as well as a programme of educational outreach and talent development. Helen will discuss how BFF worked with the client, Worcester City Council, and a creative consortium, made up of a number of local arts organisations, to develop the plans.

Helen Grassly is a Director of Burrell Foley Fischer. Her expertise is in delivering the highest quality projects for the arts sector, as well as a specialism in the creative refurbishment of existing buildings. She has a passion for the detailed making of buildings, particularly in sensitive historic contexts. Helen was the director responsible for BFF’s remodelling of the Grade II* Hall for Cornwall, including a new 1,200-seat auditorium. She is currently designing a new theatre for Andover and the remodelling of Malvern Theatres.

Faye Davies to address the National Heritage Ironwork Group Conference

October 04, 2024

The National Heritage Ironwork Group (NHIG) have invited Faye Davies, the Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Project Director for the restoration of Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens, to address their 2024 Conference. Faye will be giving a “10 minutes heroes” presentation on the designs for returning the magnificent cast-iron seaside structure to a year-round attraction.

The NHIG is a volunteer-run organisation which is dedicated to raising awareness and understanding of ironwork, provides a hub for historic ironwork information and is the nation’s only organisation focused solely on historic ironwork. The theme of this year’s conference is “Tradition and Innovation – The Evolution of Craftmanship in Ironwork Conservation”. Their stated aims for the event are:

“As 21st century ironwork conservators, we have more options available to us than ever before. But in a field where each project presents new and unique challenges, how do we know which materials & techniques are appropriate for the job?
Traditional skills are passed on with the benefit of being tried and tested, but craftsmanship is a fluid process, naturally evolving as new technologies emerge. So are the ‘old ways’ always the best? Or can new technologies offer viable alternatives? What are the parameters when using modern materials with historic fabric? When is it appropriate and when inappropriate?”

The last survivor of a British seaside tradition, the Grade II* Winter Gardens located on Great Yarmouth’s ‘golden mile’ is currently unused, in a poor state of repair and on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. Following restoration, this building of national significance will once again become a colourful and animated People’s Palace at the heart of the town’s life, economy, and heritage.

The conference presentation will explain the developing designs and how the refurbishment will adhere to high conservation standards, ensuring the historic cast/wrought frame is carefully restored together with high quality materials for new timber screens and glazing. The historic structure will be repainted in its original off-white colour, while new materials such as timber, terracotta and terrazzo will complement the historic elements, maintaining a cohesive yet modern aesthetic. The restored frame, paired with contemporary interventions, are designed to create a calm backdrop for vibrant planting and flexible public spaces.

Faye Davies is a Specialist Conservation Architect on the RIBA Register of Conservation Architects and has over 20 years’ experience of the restoration and adaptation of historic fabric. She has a Post Graduate Diploma in Building Conservation from the Architectural Association, where her thesis was on the life and works of Victorian engineer Eugenius Birch, the eminent and most prolific cast/wrought iron pier designer.

Faye has developed a specialism in Iron Framed C19th structures and has been actively researching their conservation and adaptation for sustainable uses throughout her career. Her projects have included plans for the restoration and reconstruction of the sole surviving complete kiosk, from the original 1866 Brighton West Pier, the world’s oldest surviving pleasure pier building, and she is currently working with the National Trust on options for the restoration of the magnificent Victorian Orchard House at Cragside in Northumberland.

Ravenscourt Park Tea House wins the 2024 Tom Ryland Award for Conservation

October 01, 2024

The restoration of the Ravenscourt Park Tea House in Hammersmith has won the 2024 Tom Ryland Award for Conservation, presented by the Hammersmith Society. Two centuries old and Grade II listed, the building, which was on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register, has gained a new roof as well as modern, fully accessible public toilets as part of the sensitive restoration and refurbishment.

The Hammersmith Society’s annual awards scheme is designed to recognise projects that have made a positive and beneficial contribution to the borough’s townscape. They can be a new building, an imaginative renovation or adaptation of an old building, the creation or improvement of a green open space, a well-designed streetscape, an improved shopfront, or the removal of an eyesore.

The Tea House at Ravenscourt Park was formerly the eastern wing of the original stable block that formed part of the overall Ravenscourt Park Estate and dates from the eighteenth century with various later extensions. The building was converted to a refreshment room in the late nineteenth century and the ground floor has been running as a well-loved and popular café. The building provides a focus for Ravenscourt Park and much needed amenities in the form of the café and public conveniences.

The building had endured a long period of deterioration, resulting in damage to the roof and external fabric in many areas both externally and internally. As well as a new roof in the main building, and new loos, many of the roof timbers and joists have been restored or replaced, together with repairs to the drainage, guttering, windows and doors.

The much-needed programme of improvements has secured the building’s future and ensured it provides many more years of service where patrons can visit and use the building as a quality tearoom. The Friends of Ravenscourt Park have welcomed the restoration of the tea house.

The building has been reopened as The Paddenswick Tea Gardens Café, serving artisan coffee and hot drinks, bakery, ice cream and a delicious hot food brunch and lunch dishes. Its heritage significance is very much appreciated by local people and, following these restoration works, it is once again a popular place of attraction for people to visit and cherish.

New lighting scheme for St Alphege Church Solihull revealed to Heritage Open Day visitors

September 19, 2024

Heritage Open Day visitors were amongst the first to see the full glory of St Alphege Church in Solihull, better revealed by the new lighting scheme installed as part of a series of planned improvements being led by Burrell Foley Fischer.

Described as “England’s largest festival of history and culture” every September thousands of volunteers across England organise events for Heritage Open Days. It provides the chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are free to explore. St Alphege Church joined the 2024 event and welcomed visitors throughout the day.

St. Alphege Church, named for the Archbishop of Canterbury martyred by the Danes in 1012, is an 800 year old building in the heart of Solihull. The church has architecture from the Early Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Centuries, including an unusual two-storey chapel, a chantry above an unspoilt crypt chapel where the priest lived, which is complete with fireplace and easily barred Medieval door. There is also some fine Nineteenth and Twentieth Century stained-glass, but sadly only fragments of the medieval glass and wall-paintings survive.

Given its history and unique position, as very much Solihull’s civic parish church, the PCC launched ‘Project Turnaround’ focusing on unlocking the untapped potential. The project is centred on Mission, and how the church connects with its wider community, addressing the basic expectations of a welcoming, comfortable and hospitable environment. Phase I, the new lighting project, working with Bruce Kirk of CBG Consultants as the main lighting designer, was completed earlier this summer. Throughout the church we have introduced a new, environmentally friendly, lighting scheme which allows much more opportunity to control the space’s visual qualities and better reveal its magnificent architecture.

The designs for Phase II, the remodelling of the interior along with the narthex, were recently submitted for DAC approval. BFF have been integral to both the development of the vision behind the project and the designed response to support this, bringing the church building up to standard to support its 21st century role.

‘Tag A Tile’ at Union Chapel Sunday School Hall

September 18, 2024

Visitors to the 2024 Union Chapel Open Day were given the chance to be a part of history, by making their mark on a roof tile that will be installed on the Sunday School Hall. The ‘Tag A Tile’ event was an opportunity to be a permanent part of Union Chapel's building, in return for a donation to support their Sunday School Stories Project renovations and community activity programme.

Supporters were able to write a message or picture on a donated Keymer roof tile that will be installed on the Grade II* listed Sunday School Hall, during the essential works that will save the building and bring it back to the community.

The Union Chapel is an architectural treasure that’s home to a working church, an award-winning venue, a unique organ and The Margins Project for those homeless and in crisis in London. The Chapel is a Victorian brick complex of buildings, which includes the Grade I listed Tower and Chapel, the separately Grade II* Listed Sunday School, Halls, Committee room building and the recently repurposed Vestry block.

The Sunday School Stories project is the next phase in the masterplan, produced by BFF, for its conservation and ongoing development, following extensive community and stakeholder consultation. The project will improve both the environmental performance of, and access to, the building. Essential works will mean the unique architecture and heritage of the building will be preserved and brought back to life for the community to use and for future generations.

Inside, the Hall is a large, airy, double height space with a three-sided wrap-around wrought iron balcony. The balcony is complete with original study booths and library. It is a space that combines simple grandeur and practicality – it was intended to cater for a wide range of activities, including classes for up to 180 children and families, sports, tea parties and bazaars.

The project will open up this little seen room, and its collection of records, books, artefacts and memorabilia from the last 200 years, for dedicated community use, cultural activity, ideas sharing and participative events – giving future generations the chance to create new stories of their own.

The Sunday School has a huge undocumented archive. The archive is an untapped treasure trove of stories. It tells the tales of nonconformists and their 100-year journey from persecuted minority to being part of the establishment and of Union Chapel’s unique history as one of the UK’s most respected music venues. The project will transform the currently decaying, inaccessible collection into a restored and fully catalogued archive for the first time inviting the community to discover the everyday life at Union Chapel with insights into the lives of real local people and their ambitions for a better world.

Restoration of Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens wins AJ Retrofit Award

September 12, 2024

The restoration of the Grade II* Winter Gardens in Great Yarmouth, being led by BFF Architects, has won an AJ Retrofit Award. It was the winner of the “Future Reuse” category, which celebrates “planned and future projects on the drawing board, in particular those looking to push the envelope in terms of retrofit and reuse”.

The AJ reported that:

“The AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards celebrate architectural expertise and ingenuity in the physical and environmental adaptation and upgrade of buildings, and the reuse of building materials and structure in response to the climate emergency and changing requirements of use.
The winning projects in the AJ’s new categories for 2024 positively demonstrate the strength of the industry to advocate for change and to prioritise sensitive adaptions and minimal interventions over demolition and new build.”

Commenting on the Winter Gardens success, the judges said:

“On a project as technically challenging as this, it’s no small achievement to integrate all the different layers and reimagine it for the next generation. The economic and the social and the circularity all go hand-in-hand.”

The last survivor of a British seaside tradition, the Grade II* Winter Gardens is currently unused, in a poor state of repair and on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register. Following restoration, this building of national significance will once again become a colourful and animated People’s Palace at the heart of the town’s life, economy, and heritage.

The project will return the magnificent cast-iron structure to a year-round attraction; a flexible entertainment, activity & events, education and community space, with food and beverage.

The new scheme aims to be as sustainable as possible, whilst respecting the historic fabric, and has implemented a 'Net Zero Carbon in Operation' strategy. Passive techniques have been developed to heat, cool and ventilate the space with the minimal use of energy and resources.

The planting proposal, with species referring to the Victorian planting and reflecting the town’s former trading routes, is sensitive to the need to balance a comfortable environment for people with a suitable environment for plants. New external landscaping and public seating will be provided.

The building will include an event space with stage and seating; restaurant and bar; and a multi-purpose activity space. An integrated Interpretation Strategy will encourage engagement with heritage, biodiversity, sustainability, climate adaptation and future resilience.

The restoration has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, combined with investment from the Government’s Town Deal Fund. It is one of five successful NLHF Heritage Horizon Awards projects, aimed at ambitious, innovative and transformational schemes that will revolutionise UK heritage. The final stages of detailed design are now underway ahead of the restoration work, with the building due to reopen to the public in 2027.

Helen Grassly amongst the judges for the 2024 AJ Retrofit Awards

September 11, 2024

Helen Grassly is one of the judges for the 2024 AJ Retrofit and Reuse Awards. The Awards, celebrate architectural expertise and ingenuity in the physical and environmental adaption and upgrade of buildings, and the reuse of building materials and structure in response to the climate emergency and changing requirements of use.

Helen was a judge in the Conservation and Historic, up to £5m, category and will participate in live judging of the Conservation and Historic, £5m and over, taking place at the AJ Retrofit Live Conference. Helen’s fellow judges will be Julian Harrap, founder Julian Harrap Architects, and Sela-Jaymes Taylor, heritage and conservation lead at Gort Scott. Robert Wilson, architecture editor, at The Architects’ Journal will moderate.

Helen is a Director of Burrell Foley Fischer Architects, who have delivered the highest quality projects for the arts, education and heritage sectors for 40 years. Throughout her career, she has developed her design skills to unlock the potential of existing heritage and cultural buildings and find new and sustainable ways for them to contribute to their owners, their users and their communities.

Helen was the Director responsible for the refurbishment and remodelling of the Grade II* listed Hall for Cornwall. The new, three-tiered theatre space has enabled the organisation to deliver their artistic vision and provided a new dynamic relationship between performer and audience, whilst conserving and restoring its important heritage elements bringing them into better use. She is currently designing the new Scala arts centre, a dynamic new creative destination at the heart of Worcester housed in a former 1920s cinema, and the connected Grade II listed Corn Exchange.

The winners will be announced at a Gala Dinner following the conference. Burrell Foley Fischer’s restoration of the Winter Gardens in Great Yarmouth has been shortlisted in the Future-use category which recognises “planned and future projects on the drawing board, in particular those looking to push the envelope in terms of retrofit and reuse”.

The projects shortlisted for all categories can be found here.

Remodelling of Malvern Theatres submitted for Planning

September 10, 2024

Designs for the remodelling of the Malvern Theatres, developed by Burrell Foley Fischer working with the theatre and Malvern Hills District Council, have been submitted for Planning Permission. The ambitious project, which has received funding of £20million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, will aim to deliver a world-class cultural facility within the Malvern Hills District.

The project provides a significant opportunity to:

Increase access to Arts and Culture for the wider community in Malvern and expand on the success of the current theatre;
Improve the physical connection between Malvern Theatres and the adjacent Priory Park;
Improve the internal wheelchair access to the Forum theatre for Performers, including wheelchair accessible dressing facilities;
Develop casual performance opportunities in the park with an amphitheatre.

The project comprises an extension to the existing theatre to provide:

New studios – Studio Two will be flexible, with a significant proportion of programming to be flat floor for workshops and classes as well as rehearsal for transfer to the Festival or Forum stages. Retractable seating with good sight lines for a range of performance including live music, dance and screenings will be provided. This medium capacity supports use for community and smaller shows without occupying the much larger Forum or Festival spaces. Additional spaces, Studios Three and Four, will be used for workshops and classes. They will be flexibly connected and can also double up for dressing space for large casts;
Dressing Rooms – the existing poor quality dressing room block is to be demolished and replaced. Connectivity will allow the dressing rooms to be used from either the Forum Theatre or the new studios for flexibility and to minimise redundancy. Wheelchair performers will have stage level access and compliant sanitary facilities for the first time;
Alterations to the Forum to provide a level access stage and improved seating;
Recording studio for 4 people to enhance the existing offer;
Improved get in - the existing Forum get in is awkward across split levels. The new get in will have a covered entrance area and wider doors with a scene store/workshop;
Office space for additional staff;
Upgrading to the park entrance with re-profiled external stairs and handrails and an internal lift. A new vestibule will be provided to manage heat loss and replace the ‘winter’ entrance;
External amphitheatre adjacent to the steps as a new public facility for casual performance;
Improving the relationship with the park with new planting areas and sheltered seating;
New mechanical and electrical plant with heat recovery and PV cells.

The project will significantly widen access to culture for the local population, as well as the wider sub-region, with additional people able to participate in an accessible programme of drama, dance, fitness, musical and educational provision. As well as increasing overall reach and audience size, the project particularly targets those currently less able to access culture and its wellbeing and educational benefits. The newly accessible facilities will enable increased participation by physically and mentally disabled people, equalising access to the Theatres’ main commercial offer as well as its ‘Take Part’ programme of tailored events to meet audience-specific needs.

This nationally significant project will act as a key economic driver for the region, creating new jobs and a further indirect employment opportunities. It will transform visitor numbers supporting the vitality and vibrancy of Great Malvern town centre and the wider visitor offer, which is key to the District’s economic prosperity.

Ravenscourt Park Tea House nominated for a 2024 Tom Ryland Award for Conservation

September 09, 2024

The restoration of the Ravenscourt Park Tea House in Hammersmith has been nominated for a 2024 Tom Ryland Award for Conservation, presented by the Hammersmith Society. Two centuries old and Grade ll-listed, the building, which was on Historic England’s Buildings at Risk Register, has gained a new roof as well as modern, fully accessible public toilets as part of a top-to-bottom restoration and refurbishment.

A long-term plan for Bournville heritage places and spaces

September 06, 2024

Burrell Foley Fischer, working with Donald Insall Associates, have been developing a long-term plan for Bournville heritage places and spaces. This is a joint vision between Bournville Village Trust, Mondelez International and the Bournville community.

By the late 18th century, brothers George and Richard Cadbury had seen the chocolate business, started by their father John, flourish thanks to the quality of their cocoa. Unlike most factory owners of the time, unmoved by the poor working and living conditions of their employees, the Cadbury brothers were different. They had a deep-seated concern about the way so many people were forced to work and live in overcrowded, dirty and dangerous places.

In 1893, the Cadburys bought 120 acres of land close to their new factory and started to plan a model village to, in their words, ‘alleviate the evils of modern, more cramped living.’ Designed to be totally different to the typical ‘back to backs’, houses in Bournville were spacious, well-designed, and built with quality in mind. As the village grew, so did the facilities it offered, with schools, parks, recreation grounds, sports facilities and village halls all springing to life.

George and Richard had set out to give people a better quality of life, and in Bournville they did just that. So much so that Bournville later became a blueprint for many other model villages in Britain. Many have credited it with laying the foundations for the development of garden cities and introducing the benefits of open space into modern town planning.

Today the Bournville Village Trust and Modelelez International (the current owners of Cadbury) continue to be custodians of the village and have begun looking at the best options for providing; improved sports and youth provision; more community and recreation facilities; and more social and leisure facilities.

The public have been invited to give their views on the conceptual designs, which were drafted using feedback from almost 400 community surveys conducted during the Summer/Autumn 2023. Proposals being considered include:

Bournville Village Green

Making the Green the beating heart of Bournville.

Bournville Pavilion

Community engagement and commercial potential as a restaurant.

Men’s Recreation Ground

Continued sports and youth provision.

The Walled Garden and Girls' Recreation Ground

Currently a hidden landscape off Bournville Lane closed off from its surroundings and used for very little. Sympathetic to the architecture, developing a new community, living within the Walled Garden, with opportunities to provide homes for younger and older people possibly in a ground-breaking community led/cohousing scheme.

Former Cadbury Club Site

Using the former Cadbury Club site to develop community-focused facilities alongside commercial opportunities – developing Bournville as a cultural destination alongside Cadbury World. Options include a ground level café with a gym, co-working spaces and business seed bed facilities above, or a ground level café with a hotel with 112 rooms – capitalising on proximity to the station

The Clay Pits

Access this hidden gem for health and wellbeing activities. Harnessing a tranquil natural environment far removed from the bustle of the surrounding urban area. Creating a small pavilion next to the pool to foster a safe and supportive space for activities such as yoga, wellness practices, fishing, open water swimming, men’s shed projects and gardening.

Rowheath Pavilion

Rowheath Pavilion to become the focal point for intensified sports activities for all ages. A new pavilion block north of Heath Road to provide upgraded changing facilities and hospitality amenities, catering to larger athletic activities and featuring floodlit pitches

Director of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, visits Winter Gardens to offer support for regeneration

August 21, 2024

One of the UK’s leading horticulturists has paid a visit to the Winter Gardens in Great Yarmouth to lend support to its regeneration, offer guidance and review the proposed planting scheme.

Richard Barley, Director of Gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, was invited to see progress on the ambitious multi-million-pound regeneration of the country’s last-surviving Victorian glasshouse on a seaside promenade.

Plans have been drawn up for exciting planting scheme for the revitalised iconic building with work being designed and led by Coe Design Landscape Architecture, a company with an international track record of expertise in innovative and imaginative contemporary design. Consultant Mike Maunder, a horticulture and biodiversity expert, is also part of the team behind the planting.

Councillor Carl Smith, leader of Great Yarmouth Borough Council, said:

“We are absolutely delighted that one of the country’s most respected horticulturalists has so kindly agreed to offer his advice and guidance as we seek to ensure this nationally significant project has a planting scheme that does it justice. Mr Barley has a huge expertise on the design, renovation and operation of display and botanical glasshouses, including the renovation of the iconic Temperate House at Kew. His comments and input are enormously valuable to us.”

Speaking at the Winter Gardens, Mr Barley said:

“I am very pleased to be able offer our support to what is an exciting project with some fascinating plans for planting in a unique environment. The team working on the regeneration aims to create a very special asset for the town and I look forward to seeing the vision come to fruition.’’

The visit comes after it was announced earlier this year that The National Lottery Heritage Fund had awarded £12.3 million to Great Yarmouth Borough Council to deliver its vision for the Winter Gardens – Reimagining the People’s Palace, a bold and inspiring programme, restoring the unique historic building to its former glory. The funding has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players, combined with £4 million of investment from the Government’s Town Deal Fund. The final stages of detailed design are now underway ahead of the restoration work with the building due to reopen to the public in 2027.

Jennifer Coe, Director of Coe Design Landscape Architecture, said:

“Our work on the Winter Gardens is focused on designing the local and contextual environment for sustainability and biodiversity to connect the landscape to the culture of Great Yarmouth and its community. Our expertise in plant design for historic sites and settings, coupled with our extensive plant knowledge from across the globe has enabled us to understand the requirements of plants from varying climatic regions and consider a range of exciting proposals for the Winter Gardens.’’

The designs for the repair and refurbishment were developed by architects Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF), in collaboration with the council, other specialist partners and stakeholders.

Faye Davies, Managing Director, Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) Architects, said:

“This stunning building holds national significance. Collaborating with Great Yarmouth Borough Council, we have embraced their vision of returning the Winter Gardens to its former glory - a vibrant people’s palace at the heart of the town's life, economy and historical legacy. Having secured planning permission and Listed Building Consent in November, the Grade II* listed Winter Gardens will now undergo careful restoration of its original features, including cast and wrought ironwork and lost details of timber screens to recapture its past grandeur, combined with new services for the community.

Sustainability is core to the project, redeveloping a venue where visitors can engage and learn about the environment. The beautiful indoor gardens will take people on a journey, showing how plants have shaped our history and define our future. Some of the innovative sustainability aspects being integrated into the project will see the Winter Gardens having passive ventilation and de-stratification fans, rainwater will be harvested for irrigation, planting – both inside and out – will create shade, while heating will come from low carbon air source heat pumps and underfloor cooling. The rejuvenated Winter Gardens will also feature community spaces, catering and opportunities for leisure, entertainment and learning.

Councillor Smith said:

‘‘This major regeneration project will breathe new life into Great Yarmouth and we are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for showing this level of support for the vision for the building.’’

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands and East at The National Heritage Lottery Fund, said:

“This is an exciting and pioneering project, part of our Heritage Horizons programme which focuses on supporting transformation in heritage. The renovation leads the way for the Heritage Fund’s strategic ambition to champion large-scale and long-term innovative solutions to strengthening heritage to be adaptive, financially resilient and contributing to the community and economy of Great Yarmouth.’’

Once work gets underway, the project will provide skills and training for 95 young people including those not in employment, education or training. There will also be six paid placements in heritage and conservation, and six paid apprenticeships in hospitality, catering, business skills and horticulture.

Watch the ITV Anglia News report on the visit here

Restoration of Union Chapel Sunday School underway

August 09, 2024

Contractors have commenced the restoration of the Sunday School at Union Chapel. These essential works mean the unique architecture and heritage of the building will be preserved and brought back to life for the community to use and for future generations. The project will improve both the environmental performance of, and access to, the building.

The Union Chapel is an architectural treasure that’s home to a working church, an award-winning venue, a unique organ and The Margins Project for those homeless and in crisis in London.

The Chapel is a Victorian brick complex of buildings, which includes the Grade I listed Tower and Chapel, the separately Grade II* Listed Sunday School, Halls, Committee room building and the recently repurposed Vestry block. The buildings were in danger of collapse in the 80s when a huge program of repairs averted the imminent danger. However, it is still on the Heritage at Risk Register, Category C. The Sunday School Stories project is the next phase in the masterplan, produced by BFF, for its conservation and ongoing development, following extensive community and stakeholder consultation.

The Sunday School has a huge undocumented archive of records, books, artefacts and memorabilia from the last 200 years. The archive is an untapped treasure trove of stories. It tells the tales of nonconformists and their 100-year journey from persecuted minority to being part of the establishment and of Union Chapel’s unique history as one of the UK’s most respected music venues.

The project will transform the currently decaying, inaccessible collection into a restored and fully catalogued archive for the first time inviting the community to discover the everyday life at Union Chapel with insights into the lives of real local people and their ambitions for a better world.

Most importantly though it will open up this little seen room and its collection for dedicated community use, cultural activity, ideas sharing and participative events – giving future generations the chance to create new stories of their own.

Faye Davies, our Managing Director, who is leading the Union Chapel project explains more about the Sunday School restoration and its history in this video.

Society of Theatre Research 75th Year Anniversary Conference - Contemporary Theatres: hub /hall /haven /hotbed

July 19, 2024

Helen Grassly and Faye Davies are participating in a Round Table at the 75th Anniversary Conference of the Society of Theatre Research on Saturday 20th July.

Since 1948, the Society has advanced research into British-related theatre. They run lectures and conferences, publish books and journals, offer funding and prizes, promote excellent scholarship and support the continuing development of practice. The Society is celebrating 75 years of scholarship practical and theoretical with a wide-ranging conference in Bristol.

Helen Grassly, Director of BFF, will chair and contribute to a Round Table session titled “Contemporary Theatres: hub /hall /haven /hotbed”. She will be joined on the panel by Julie Caplin Grey, the Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating & Finance officer of Hall for Cornwall, Graeme McGinty, Associate Director at Charcoalblue, Theatre and Acoustic Consultants and Faye Davies, BFF’s Managing Director and a Specialist Conservation Architect.

Abstract

As revenue subsidies decline, today’s theatres need to be active all day to provide supplementary commercial income from cafes to corporate hires. Consequently, the open theatre also provides an opportunity to support local creative industries and deliver expanded participation in the arts from underrepresented sectors of society.

The Panel will discuss how theatres and their buildings can be successfully adapted, ensuring that they not only meet the expectations of modern theatregoing audiences, and theatre companies, but also provide facilities appropriate for their uses beyond core performances. The recently completed refurbishment and remodelling of the Grade II* Listed Hall for Cornwall, will be used as a Case Study.

The Truro project has increased the theatre’s audience capacity and provides a more intimate atmosphere, with improved sightlines and variable acoustics allowing for an expanded programme, whilst improving accessibility and conserving and restoring important heritage elements. Their new Husa hub (meaning to enchant and dream in Cornish), combines the venue’s artist development programmes with a dynamic and diverse co-working space; nurturing and supporting Cornish performance artists and bringing together local and creative businesses, start-ups, artists, charities and social enterprises.

Biographies

Julie Caplin Grey, Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Operating & Finance officer of Hall for Cornwall, is an experienced & effective cultural leader with a proven track record in leading and managing organisations, teams and projects, that are committed to improving access to culture in Cornwall.

Helen Grassly, Director of Burrell Foley Fischer Architects, specialises in the delivery of the highest quality projects for institutional, educational, arts and creative sector clients.

Faye Davies, Managing Director of Burrell Foley Fischer Architects, has more than two decades of experience of working on sensitive conservation projects from alterations to the creative reuse of historic buildings and is a Registered Specialist Conservation Architect.

Graeme McGinty, Associate Director at Charcoalblue, Theatre and Acoustic Consultants, has more than 18 years of professional experience in support of the technical aspects of performance within dance and theatre, as well as live music.

BFF to design new theatre for Andover

July 18, 2024

We are delighted that Test Valley Borough Council has selected Burrell Foley Fischer (BFF) to design and deliver a new theatre for Andover.

We saw off strong competition from a shortlist of six top consultancies to secure the contract. We will be working closely with other local and national businesses on the project and the team is now set to hit the ground running - with a planning application expected later this year. Demolition and construction starting in 2025, ahead of completion in 2026 and opening in early 2027.

Burrell Foley Fischer has successfully delivered a variety of performing arts venues both across the country and internationally. Locally we have designed projects for Winchester Theatre Royal, New Theatre Royal Portsmouth and The Point Eastleigh. Our recently completed remodelling of the Hall for Cornwall, Truro, was described as “brilliantly reimagined” by the world famous lyricist Sir Tim Rice. We will now focus our expertise on developing Andover’s new theatre.

Aidan Ridyard and Helen Grassly of BFF, Cllr Phil North and Kit Malthouse MP, outside of the location for the new theatre

The project is being primarily funded with £18.3m from round three of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund secured by TVBC to accelerate two priority regeneration projects in the town. The new venue will be truly transformational for Andover, supporting local businesses, bringing communities together and developing the evening economy.

The scheme will see the former Poundstretcher Unit, located at the entrance to the Chantry Centre, demolished before a brand new theatre is constructed in its place. The venue is set to become a new home for The Lights and will feature a state-of the-art auditorium and modern spaces to host a variety of events and creative classes.

As set out in the Andover Masterplan, which was adopted by the Council in 2020, the theatre will benefit from being positioned in a prime location with Andover bus station and the Chantry Centre car park just a short walk away and Town Mills Riverside Park providing a charming back garden for audiences to enjoy during the warmer months.

BFF will now be working closely with the Council and local stakeholders to set the scene for the new venue and begin to draw up concept designs, which will respond to the needs of the community whilst being sympathetic to the identity of Andover’s historical core.

Leader of the council, Councillor Phil North said:

“We are delighted to have awarded this contract to BFF. As part of deciding who to appoint, a panel of key stakeholders, including representatives from Andover BID, Andover Town Council, Test Valley Arts Foundation and Borough Councillors were involved. We were so impressed with the quality of proposals that we saw through the procurement process. BFF in particular shone out for the quality of their work and extensive expertise in the cultural sector.
“Their energy and enthusiasm to be a part of this project and to help transform Andover town centre will make for an exciting collaboration and we look forward to working with them to bring a new theatre to Andover as we spend the Levelling Up money that the Council, supported by Kit Malthouse MP, was able to secure.”

Helen Grassly, Director at Burrell Foley Fischer said:

“We are thrilled to have been chosen to design the new theatre for Andover and the surrounding area. Our expert team will support The Lights to plan a variety of high quality, larger performance spaces.
“Today modern theatres are also venues for the entire community, open to all, and without barriers to attendance or participation and we look forward to working with Test Valley Borough Council to develop designs that contribute to the regeneration of the town centre and, whilst representative of the area and its history, provide a contemporary building for the Lights to expand their cultural and community offer.”

More information about the theatre and masterplan project can be found at www.thinkandovertowncentre.co.uk

Uncertain future for Stratford Picturehouse

July 17, 2024

The future of Stratford Picturehouse, designed by Burrell Foley Fischer and opened in 1997, is uncertain following Picturehouse’s announcement of the closure of three historic London cinemas within the space of a month, citing ‘increasing operational costs and declining admissions’.

The news places the buildings at risk of potential loss or redevelopment, unless new operators or community consortiums can be found to take over the running of the cinemas. While the Fulham and Bromley branches date from the Interwar period (1930 and 26 respectively) – the so called ‘Golden age of Cinema architecture’ – the branch at Stratford East is from the very end of the 20th century (1996-97), at a time when out-of-town multiplexes were the predominant cinema typology, and new purpose-built urban cinemas were rare.

The Twentieth Century Society is joining the Cinema Theatre Association in backing the grassroots campaigns springing up to save these much valued local amenities, while their Casework teams explore the possibility of listing applications or formal objections to any potential loss.

“Designed by architects Burrell Foley Fischer – renowned for their work on cinemas both new and historic – the Picturehouse at Stratford East was set within a new public square and cultural quarter, adjacent to the Grade II* Victorian Theatre Royal. Developed with public funding from Stratford’s City Challenge, it contains a four-screen cinema with exhibition space, café bar and restaurant facilities. Unusually the building is visible from all sides, with the entrance facade deliberately open and inviting, allowing passers-by to read the facilities within. Of particular note is its innovative tubular open-plan projection booth, running like a spine along the length of the building and allowing projectionists total access to the equipment serving all four screens. Winning several design awards upon completion, it is a fine example of a late 20th century urban cinema, from a period when the out-of-town multiplex was the predominant cinema typology.”

The project was an FPDC National Winner for Leisure, and voted as one of the best 50 buildings of 2000 by The Independent. It was shortlisted for the 1997 RIBA Award for Architecture, received a Civic Trust Commendation, and won the National Drywall Award for innovative use of materials.

“While the rest of Britain goes crazy for the bland multiplex, east London is now home to two picture houses which are also architectural masterpieces…The overwhelming sensation is one of optimism triumphing over dreary town planning”
— The Independent

Restoration of Great Yarmouth Winter Gardens shortlisted for AJ Retrofit Award

July 15, 2024

The restoration of the Grade II* Winter Gardens in Great Yarmouth, being led by BFF Architects, has been shortlisted for an AJ Retrofit Award.

The AJ Retrofit & Reuse Awards celebrate architectural expertise and ingenuity in the physical and environmental adaption and upgrade of buildings, and the reuse of building materials and structure in response to the climate emergency and changing requirements of use. The Winter Gardens have been shortlisted in the “Future Reuse” category, which celebrates “planned and future projects on the drawing board, in particular those looking to push the envelope in terms of retrofit and reuse”.

The project will return the magnificent cast-iron structure to a year-round attraction; a flexible entertainment, activity & events, education and community space, with food and beverage.

The restoration has been made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players. It is one of five successful NLHF Heritage Horizon Awards projects, aimed at ambitious, innovative and transformational schemes that will revolutionise UK heritage.

The Awards are presented by Architects' Journal, the UK’s leading professional architecture magazine. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Autumn.