August 2023
H+R had a fascinating journey through the second half 20th Century British interior design on a private scheme in London which, although modest as viewed from the exterior, holds plenty of surprises within. The interior is an exemplar of taste firstly of Oliver Hill and subsequently John Fowler in the 1950s and lastly Lorenzo Mongiardino in the 1980s. Mongiardino was famous for his mantra that ‘The light of London is not that of Rome’. What connected them all was the common thread of classicism sharing an essentially romantic and nostalgic outlook
Elsewhere in London saw a return after five years to the Tudor buildings at Fulham Palace. The gardens there have been one of the most important botanical gardens since the 16th Century and are the second oldest in the world after those at Padua. On this note, H+R have in the past worked at Chelsea Physic Garden (arguably the oldest in England) and also at the Garden Museum at Lambeth Palace, Oxford Botanic Gardens and at Kew
Continuing the palace theme, H+R were also active at the Great Hall at Lambeth Palace and also the Palace of Westminster. From the sublime to the not so sublime, H+R also supported the Structural Engineer working at an establishment called ‘Barry’s Locks’ in East London
In Scotland, extensive structural timber surveys were undertaken in the historic ‘Peterhead Quarter’ near Aberdeen and also at Glencairn House, the oldest house in Dumbarton dating to 1623
Finally, H+R had the pleasure of returning to Watt’s Gallery in Compton wattsgallery.org.uk 12 years after being a key part of the project team involved in its refurbishment. Together with the Mortuary Chapel, designed by his wife Mary, it is a marvelous memorial to the genius of Frederic Watts the eminent Victorian artist and sculptor
