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Project
BLACK COUNTRY LIVING MUSEUM
Rolfe Street Baths project
The practice were approached in early
1998 by the museum to assist them in the formulation of a
bid document to the Heritage Lottery Fund. The requirement
funding was 3 million pounds with the museum aiming to raise
1 million. During the bid process a detailed planning application
was made for the entire project. The funding was approved
and the Practice were commissioned to produce tender drawings
and documents for Phase 1. This included classrooms for local
visiting school children and an enlarged shop and information
centre. This Phase was completed in 20 weeks and was designed
in accordance with traditional vernacular detailing.
During the construction of Phase 1 tender drawings were produced
for Phase 2 which had a total value of 3.5 million pounds.
The main feature of Phase 2 was the total reconstruction of
a Three Storey Building which previously stood on the Rolfe
Street Baths in Smethwick before it was taken down brick by
brick in the early 1990’s.
The facade, the main focal point of the project, was a mixture
of brickwork and ornate terracotta detailing, forming the
main original entrance to the baths.
The project also encompassed two spacious exhibition halls
built to the original details and supported by castellated
cast iron segmental arches re-claimed from the original swimming
pool buildings.
The entrance to the new museum is via a new Spine Building
formed from planar glazing chosen so as not to detract from
the adjacent Victorian facades.
The entire building was founded on an arrangement of cast
in-situ basement walls to provide rigidity on land of poor
bearing capacity whilst also providing much needed archive
and storage accommodation.
With the museum attracting 250,000 visitors every year the
Rolfe Street Project has provided state of the art museum
facilities that can be enjoyed by all ages. |
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