Reviving an Artist’s Birthplace
Thomas Sinden completes Revamp of Grade I Listed Gainsborough’s House, Suffolk, the childhood home of Thomas Gainsborough.
Thomas Sinden has completed the renovation of Grade I Listed Gainsborough’s House Museum as well as the construction of a new three-storey art gallery building, creating a national centre for Thomas Gainsborough, one of Britain’s foremost artists in the setting of his childhood home at Gainsborough’s House, Sudbury, Suffolk.
The major revamp doubles the size of the museum, providing spaces for exhibitions, displays and learning, with four new galleries – a showcase Gainsborough gallery, a temporary exhibition gallery for exhibitions of national and international importance, a community gallery and a landscape studio. A new orangery-style café has also been built overlooking the beautiful eighteenth century garden, enhancing the visitor experience, and boosting venue hire, along with improved shopping facilities and a varied programme of talks and concerts.
Designed by architects ZMMA, the building has been constructed using locally made brick and flint with a stunning reticulated brick façade, a new zig-zag roof using hand-crafted copper. Inside, the walls of the new Gainsborough Gallery are covered in a deep green pure silk damask manufactured by local company Humphries Weaving. Other design features include a brick crinkle-crankle wall, stone and ornate metalwork. There is a camera obscura, which allows visitors a unique view of the surrounding countryside.
The main construction challenges were limited access and storage, and restricted room to manoeuvre, as the site was extremely close to residential properties and businesses. The logistics required careful planning and a lot of work to liaise with local residents and businesses.
The scheme was National Lottery Heritage Funded with the rest being matched from the support of generous individuals and organisations. The project will also ensure that Gainsborough’s House is preserved, shared and celebrated for the next 100 years and will be a catalyst for the regeneration of the market town of Sudbury, attracting significant levels of tourism and engendering a greater pride of place. The Museum is set to open to members of the Public in November.