Amanda Levete's V&A plans attacked by conservationists
New vista of V and A
Source: Amanda Levete ArchitectsAston Webb screen ‘cannot sustain’ proposed changes by architect
Amanda Levete’s £41 million plans to “dramatically alter” the courtyard screen at the Victoria & Albert Museum have been condemned by heritage campaigners.
The Victorian Society has written to the V&A urging it to retain the integrity of the original design by Victorian architect Aston Webb.
“The screen survived the Blitz,” said James Hughes, conservation adviser for the society. “Now its own custodian - the V&A - is about to cause it greater harm. Visually the screen cannot sustain that degree of alteration.
“There is no compelling practical need for punching through all of the openings. The museum has not proved that just removing half of them, rather than every one, would not work as well. The present proposal is the least satisfactory.”
Amanda Levete Architects was appointed by the museum last year to create underground galleries and a new entrance on Exhibition Road.
The practice beat six other proposals, including designs by Heneghan Peng, Snøhetta and Jamie Fobert.
Its scheme was approved by planners earlier this month.
Writing in the Evening Standard this week on the subject of risk, museum director Martin Roth said they would be attempting to use a “yet-to-be-made” type of ceramic tile in the construction of “our grand new entrance”.
“Amanda Levete has created an amazing space that will incorporate cutting-edge ceramic technology, an industry with a very important history in the UK,.” he said.
“By taking this risk we are trying to support and promote the creativity of those in the ceramics industry in the UK.”
The Victorian Society said it accepted the principle behind the change but expressed “deep dissatisfaction” at the detail of the execution.
In a statement the V&A defended the AL_A alterations as a “vital and necessary element of the design”.
“It will result in a beneficial relationship between the cultural hub of Exhibition Road and the heart of the V&A as well as creating a new publicly accessible space and enabling appreciation of the historic façades within the courtyard for the first time,” it said.
The museum appointed historic building specialists Giles Quarme & Associates to work with Levete and said the majority of the war-damaged stone on the rest of the west façade would be retained.
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Readers' comments (19)
This was thoroughly debated at Planning committee, and two members voted against. I was one of them; it is on record. I admire the underground gallery principle and the revelation of the courtyard and interior facades, it is a good and intelligent solution. But there is no justification for the destruction of the entire Aston Webb screen; the proposal looks frankly bizarre and unworthy.
Given that they have already 'pimped' Exhibition Road, the historic and architectural integrity of the area is under threat. If there is any way to revisit the proposal for the screen, we should do it.
This 'survided the Blitz' rubbish is the most laughable justification from the hertiage idiots yet. This space must be visually permable otherwise it will remain under used.
The V&A should reconsider the Spiral; the pedestrianisation of Exhibition Road in retrospect makes Liebskind's design even more attractive.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/sep/18/urbandesign.arts
double facepalm..
http://cdn.iwastesomuchtime.com/October-18-2011-20-12-49-DoubleFacePalm.jpg
Seymour, they haven't pedestrianised Exhibition Road. If they did it would make far more sense than the 'is it or isn't it?' situation we have now. The Council says 'It ISN'T shared space it's single surface', but that confuses yet further as it is called 'shared space' in the press. It is currently closed to traffic completely for the so-called Road Show Festival, though frankly that doesn't work well either. Neither fish nor fowl.
Is it me or are all the visuals provided conveniently not illustrating the issue in the article?? I may be being wonderfully naive here, but one assumes that the historic value of the screen was considered both by the applicants at project development and application submission stage and by officers and members at determination stage...thats democracy and the planning system as we know it! Would be good to see exactly what the issue is though...so we can make more informed comments....
James, mate, there's a child with a red balloon. Doesn't that give you enough information?
I'd assumed that was an innovative ceramic tile plunging to the ground, thanks for putting me right Emma
Zecks Marquise, I thought likewise initially, but felt inclined to reconsider given my experience of the Picasso Musem in Paris, which is incidentally similar.
If the V&A has as strong a pull as Picasso in Paris, then I’m with the Victorian Society on this one I’m afraid.
See here for more on the very similar defensive wall that bears the entrance to the Musée Picasso: http://drawings1.kevinscotttoner.co.uk/#69.18
And here for the outside:
http://wanderus3.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/picasso-visit.jpg?w=490
Do you concur that the VS may have an argument?
Similarly the Picasso Museum in Barcelona is nicely defended but has very healthy visitor numbers. I can't imagine why the V&A wants to double visitors, when the revenue-producing big exhibitions are on it is so so busy. We DON'T want to slaughter and cook the golden goose and turn South Ken into Barcelona, parts of which these days quite frankly are uncomfortably over capacity all year round.
There must be a balance between financial viability and experience. I've been visiting the V&A all my life and studied there for two years. I don't want to see it pimped like Exhibition Road; a dignified extension like Levete's would be just about enough, without demolishing the entire screen.