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GRAND REOPENING
Restored to glory As the Royal West of England Academy – Bristol’s oldest art gallery – prepares to reopen its doors after many months under re-construction, we catch up with the gallery’s director, Alison Bevan, who takes us behind-the-scenes of the most significant restoration the RWA has seen in over a century...
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ine months in the making and the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is just days away from reopening its doors to the general public, welcoming visitors back to its galleries for the first time this year. Until very recently, the £4.2 million refurbishment has been taking place behind tall wire fences and boarded windows but signs of progress have been beginning to break through the barriers. The recent restoration of the Grade II* listed building is the most significant redevelopment the gallery has seen in over a century. The works have not only delivered urgent repairs to save the RWA from risk of permanent closure but have brought a number of major improvements to the art space, including free-to-access galleries on all three floors and an impressive new lift that can carry four wheelchair users and their carers. The innovative redesign also allows the city’s oldest gallery to welcome 40% more visitors each year. Ahead of the official opening on 2 May, we were lucky enough to be given a sneak preview of the restoration works by RWA Director Alison Bevan. Alison has overseen every detail of the build, putting in thousands of hours to ensure the multi-million pound make-over is artfully completed, making it a space for all to enjoy. As we step forth into the Academy on a particularly wet April afternoon – hard hats firmly fixed – we immediately begin to negotiate the construction site’s restrictive conditions – namely ladders, low-hanging wires and an army of workers. Although the gallery is stripped bare, it is utterly remarkable to see such a grand piece of architecture in such a raw state. The large metal platforms stand tall as if installations in their own right. Occasionally, we snatch a glimpse of some of the gallery’s famous features as they lay under protective hardwood, reminding us of just how architecturally important a place the Academy truly is. Our first stop was the much-loved and much-missed café – or the room which will soon take its shape. The windows have been lowered to allow light to flood in, subsequently offering customers a better view of the prominent Victoria Rooms, which stand opposite. Large swinging doors have also been installed so refreshments can be enjoyed well into the evening when the gallery is closed. We’re eager to see its return. As we make our way up the beautiful marble-clad interior staircase, admiring the spectacular ceiling dome and lunettes as we go, we enter the main gallery on the first floor, where inconspicuous adjustments have been carried out with such precision and grace. Alison begins to explain: “All of the walls in this room have been back to the brick. We’ve taken off three layers of tongue and groove – and then replaced it with batten, then plywood, then plasterboard then replastered it to achieve these beautiful pristine walls. “The windows have temperature-driven ventilation units so when it 26 THE BRISTOL MAGAZINE
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MAY 2022
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No 210
In 1913, a major extension was added to the front of the building, including a dome and spectacular lunettes, painted by Walter Crane. Shortly after, King George V granted the Academy its Royal status
gets hot, they will automatically open and when they sense moisture, they will automatically close. It used to get up to 37 degrees celcius in here in the summer with the old roof lanterns so these windows are double glazed and 99.5% UV filtered. It will now be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. “We also have new under floor heating. Every bit of pipe work and electrical cable in the building has been changed, so we have a 100% carbon-free fuel supply [complying with the city’s 2030 carbon neutral target]. We’ve got rid of our gas boilers and put in air-source heat pumps so our new heating systems are not just good for the RWA, but they’re good for the environment.” From the windows to the walls and the Academy’s replica of the Parthenon Frieze, which runs above the picture rail. It shows the procession of the Panathenaic festival, the commemoration of the birthday of the goddess Athena, and is spectacular in every way. “The Parthenon Frieze has been cleaned,” Alison tells us as we lean in towards it. “By cleaning it, the lines of muscles on the horses have been uncovered for the first time in decades.” As we move from one gallery to the next, subtle additions show that the gallery management team has not only listened to the feedback from its visitors and surrounding communities but it has ensured that the fresh perspectives have informed every decision they have made. “One of the things I’m proudest of is that everything we’ve done has been driven by one of two things,” says Alison. “One is the RWA being sustainable as a business. The renovation has enabled us
