Review 2016

Stockton House: Revival of an Elizabethan Gem

The architecture of south Wiltshire owes much to the prosperity of the woollen industry at the end of the 16th century. Some of the most memorable and picturesque towns and villages in the region owe their architectural character to the proceeds of this once lucrative trade. Some, such as Bradford on Avon, display the best […]

Review 2016

Suffrage at the Doors of St Stephen’s: The Palace of Westminster

New Dawn, designed by Mary Branson, Parliamentary Artist in Residence to Women’s Suffrage, is a permanent artwork to commemorate women’s suffrage in Parliament. The artwork is located in St Stephen’s Porch, directly above the entrance to St Stephen’s Hall. During 1916, amid the horrors of the First World War, a general election was rapidly approaching. […]

Review 2017

50 Years of Conservation Areas

This year we have been joining in celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of the Civic Amenities Act, which heralded the designation of conservation areas. It has been a joy to learn about the role of Donald Insall Associates’ pioneering conservation architects in these early days of the movement and how our colleagues’ advice influenced much […]

Review 2017

Chesterton Mill, Cambridge

Chesterton Mill near Cambridge, now surrounded by the suburbs of New Chesterton, is an example of a site that has evolved to keep pace with technology, and continues to do so. The wind-powered mill was built in 1847 by William Beart, a maltster, to grind corn. The mill and surrounding fields were then, in 1850, […]

Review 2017

Curating the Past: Repair and Conservation at Brodsworth Hall

Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire flourished for just a very short period, but memories of its heyday and subsequent decline have proved persistent. The house was built in 1861-3 by Charles Sabine Thellusson, who in 1858 had inherited the estate from his great-grandfather. It was designed by a London architect, Philip Wilkinson, in an Italianate […]

Review 2017

Remembering Joseph Paxton at London Road Cemetery, Coventry

Within every conservation project, we discover layers of meaning be they historic, civic or personal. The London Road Cemetery in Coventry is one that brings together all three. This 42-acre site is part burial ground, part pleasure gardens and part arboretum and is owned by Coventry City Council. Donald Insall Associates is providing specialist conservation […]

Review 2017

New Place, New Life

The story of Plas Newydd in Anglesey, Wales, charts a great swathe of British history from battles to brushstrokes, by way of unrequited love and tragic loss. The name Plas Newydd translates as ‘new mansion’, but the house is far from new. There has been a residence in this location on the banks of the […]

Review 2017

The (Other) Baths of Bath

Georgian architecture and bathing are synonymous with Bath and the two come together in the unique and little-altered Cleveland Pools. Opened in 1815 as a discreet and civilised adaptation of the natural swimming facilities provided by the adjacent river Avon, the crescent-form development was contemporary with some of the final phases of the Georgian expansion […]

Review 2017

Nurturing Nature: Restoring the Temperate House at Kew

The construction of the Temperate House was predicated on the Victorian obsession with observation of the natural world. Now, the building it itself is subject to intense scrutiny as part of its redevelopment and renewal, a five-year project due for completion in May 2018. The past has left indelible traces upon the architectural fabric of […]

News

Rochdale Town Hall granted first stage funds from Heritage Lottery Fund

May 9th 2018 The HLF has granted an initial award of £688,000 to the Grade I listed Rochdale Town Hall in order to undertake a full scale restoration of large sections of the building, including its historic rooms and features. Sections of the building that are normally off limits to the public will be opened […]

News

Do World Heritage Sites matter in the 21st century? An event at the Venice Architecture Biennale

May 11th 2018 We are delighted to be co-hosting a discussion at UNESCO by Bartlett School of Architecture and Donald Insall Associates at the Venice Architecture Biennale. How does a city like Venice preserve its UNESCO World Heritage status and, at the same time, evolve into a thriving contemporary working community, not just for tourists […]

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