Building~(lJdy

he \-lolburn~ Museum

T building complete, onc

of the best vic\vs in Bath,
dosing Great Pulteney
Street, a IJlHikvard a Chou'>lnd feet
long and a hundred wid~_lt was
once the st~tely Sydney Hotel, which
opcn~d to the pb,5ur~ ptden>, BAth'S
an,wer to London's Vauxh~ll lnd
Dublin' Randagh G~rdcns.lhe playt'rs
in the casmo could walk dm: ctly
onto th~ grounds to music from l
g,",CCfill p~vilion on th~ upper floor.
1 had "lways admired j-iJrcourt
Ma~tCfs' portiCO .nd the sober front
from a &;uncc. Only when 1 looked
at il closely did I rea),se how it was
marrd hy rhe effet~ ddaij wirh
which Rcginald Blomtield primped
ilS dear articulation when he gutted
(his word) the building to adapt it
for the mU'i<'um, at about the rime of
the First World \V~r.lt then b<:<:am e
the definitive h0me of the varied
collection of decorative, ~s wdl "5
'fin~ " ut n"fficd afr~r it, originator,
the Scottish b"chdor baronet, S,r
VVilliam Holbumc oflVkllmic, wbo
h~d been J midshipman "I Tmfalgm
but spent the later paTt ofllis life in
Bath, Originally, it had been rather
cramped in th~ ~mal\er house h~ »

I l-tolb u"",, ~,oum

2 Syone, Ga,d"" ,

AJ 26,05, [!
'S
H olb ........ M IlHWD <:>:tension, Bath , by Eri c Pury Att.hi1e>cU
I. Cate
2. VI
:). lIot:
~ . R~pOOn
~, 11111

6. (lib
1. Sloop
8. Edu~Oon
9 . ~1Iuy
10. Picl.... gallery
1 I. Silkoom QilIItIy
12. &IootIy
1:). S1Ota{lll

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• • , •

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, 'm
o "0 L--'

hsHJoor plan

had sh3ted wilh his (OU1 spinsler old an d th e new; the other was
sisleN. Funner leg;acie~, wilh legal and to rc-open it to the gardens.
• , lin~nci :a.l q uand aries :u {<Iehed, had 10
be resolved before Ihe nn:a.l move 10
In t he old building, he has
• maintained and refurbished the

•
D fhe formcr Sydney HOld, whic h, for
in parI, had pas1ed throllgl. vl\riOllS
uses afler it we nt 001 of business.
Th,c in tegrity o f th e g ardens h ad ,
in 2I"Iy use, been com pro nlised whe n
Brulld CUI his rulw:l)' righll hrough
them. By the timc Ihe 8 lomJield-c<l
• building opened, the old hoose was
complele!y waUed off (rom the g:u-den,
'ballroom', which t:lke ~ up the entire
width of the house and opens (Q
rhe portico. He has made it into the
main di splay space of the permanent
Iii collection. M eanwhile, the top-lit Previous p~ges
i gall ery over the ballroom, which was The Parry-designed
Blomfidd's most valuable contribution extension is faced
to the fabriC, has been adapted to with faience tiles,
become the home of the museum's s"",la' to the

.
wh ile !he building - whuse ctension most prominent holding, its 18th- practice's 50
was ,he subject of a competition in ce ntury E nglish paintings. Through New Bond Street,

• ,. 2002 - w~s :lnYlbing but the original. ~ graceful, metal, Serlian opening, LoodonWl
E ric P,UT)" who won The which echoes 8lomneld's window on (AJ03.t2.09)
w mpetition, had to take a number the garden side, this gallery connects Left top View
of opernTive decisions before he the articulating 3taircasc hall to the up Great

o 0 0 0 could begin to work Out lhe: outline:

of the project. The firST waS 10 lTeat ~
space for temporary exhibitions in the
new building, currently occupied by an
Pullene y Street
Left HarCOUr1
Ihe add itio n :I.S \l. dea rl y separ:ne a entran cing mu seum of Peter Blake·s M<lsters' faea<i€,
elemenT, an d TO u~e The new st~irwe U ~ personal artworb and curiosities. adapt ~d by
as an :l.n lcul3ling link be rwce n Ihe ~ Below it, l nd correspondi ng to th e H Reginl ld 8 10mlield
.6 A) ~6 .0 .l. u
AJ 26 .05. 1 1
'7
H olburn~ M~ge 1.lfll e.'tftnsion, B~t.h , by Eeic PUty Archi ttcu

bM1room, i, a !WO·kwl gallery (OI

d«o~thl: obj«t~, r~m furni ture
10 m,n" IU' C$, ~ nd if Un b~ vicwed
:t, an a t tmion oftht di!pJay io th~
b:illroom. ,h" nudeu! of Holb.:, nt's
original co Ue ction. The grouod Il()()f
is given ow,:. t o tlx: nfe. Qpl:n 10 t ho;
• rmlen Oil three 1;'&', which t ,n , 1K>
be reld a, a nlC(C s~o r of the OI,ioo.
" 1bi:s oldori"g i •• hown on Ihe
ol"r;OI by ' he Ihtdtoi ng OI'Kil)'
of ,ho; new building's shell . AI
ground level, ,he ~lIf~ i, wmpletely
' TlIMpum, .1hc: rwo-Ic.-el <.:l!hibi lion
room il li, by lide_'jnoows, whik
the top ROOf, whi 'h hO~$ ' he
roo(·li t dilpl.t)· spa.« (or tCmporary
Ihows. hlS OJ'lqut w.!.h (broken,
l httle unhappi ly, b)" l nurn ...
«n md ",·indo... to the garden).
Each of the three level! it ~n dy
c~nrile'l:red , but Ih e ou~. glu,
.kin i. conlinuOll~ and susp.:ndcd,
rht control ofhe:lt g~in in sured by
triple g\u, ,.:n;cn w:J.I~, internal ly
wma~t<:d by air d ..... o in al grou nd
It'1:1 and 1laturnlly ntr:lcl. d ~t Ih"
Hlf'. To mit jl:~te the grid effect of
' he glating and ill supporting mt~
(IlIming, P~rty medcd a fini sh whi, h
w(lulc! hdp 10 (o nce~l thc joi,u5,Yu
offer an :tlrnost autonomous surf~ce
lre.,mc",. F"o. ,hu OUler skin, he
" ChOk a dukl.· mouled, blue oer-a m.c,
5wi,h which Ihe lOp ROOf 's JnneUed,
as ~re 'he ' hYl hmiatty .he, na' i'l!
I rib:;. which, like I tlltct j\e~, ~p~ n Iht
fa(\; of th<; build",!. Since ,hey
! OUI",
:ut exterior to rhe 1111.$.1 enve lope,
~ 'h~y caS! deep shldows on ill ;nm .
::l .kin, and thCJdon::, ill<:\~t.wly,
'2 ~m" i l ~ mnn obvinu.s fnru .<!.
; If would. io aT!)' case, h ~vc ~n
vimnUy 'mpoN ib l ~ to INlch Iht old
ooilding, btc~use of tho; iocvitablc
WlIh "'~ act"" diffc«:ncC$ caused l». stooc·working ,.
Syd~ Garde nS
Top riQht
It would have been
virtually impossible
to match the
old buildi ng

"I .{i.op , .,
 !. Northwest el."atoon
2. North~sl (m...-)
elev.tion Parry has fulfilled
3. Soul""""l elevatioo
4. SouthW=l (front)
e"",.tioo
his principal task
- that of re-use
and reintegration
"'",.,,'''''''"''''''''''"'""'''''"'""'''',,.,,'''''"""'''',,.,,""'''',.'''
and weathering, so Parry's decision
to create contrast, dearly and sharply,
s~~m> to hav~ be~n by far the best
option.1he northward position of
the extension, the way it is partly
screened by thick foliage, suggested the
dominant colour of the c:eIOlmk finish,
which looks really opulent as you
absente the building from the gardens.
The addition to the Holburne
Museum is quitt a small building
and, functionally, it i$ relatively
straightforward. Yct it has. crucially,
raised th~ probl~m of relating new
buildings to historic, partIcularly
to tho~e whose visual impacT is an
inalienable part of a mcmorable
townscapc.lh~ probl~m was mitigated
when the plans were revised, limiting
Parry's intervention to a back-to-back
with Harcourt Masters'portico (he had
originally planned twO symmetrical
additions on either side ofit) . He n:: in
Bath, he had to challenge an almost

11 sclerotic attachment to the stone

surface of the existing buildings by
planners and other authorities. His
addition is now seen separately frnm

,
I the old Sydney Hotel. so that it
makes no direct claim on the Great
Pulteney Street by-passers' attention.
\Vhich is a pity, really, since he has
managed the junction between the old
and the new in an ext:rnplary way. Of
course, Parry already dealt with a more
OpPo3ite The link, acute Jirua{ion at SI Marlin·in-Ihe-
wha..-e old and Fields, but in Bath th~ challenge has
r\(!W building hem more direct and it is a plea~ure to
fabncs meet report he ha~ fulfilled his principal task
Following page - that of the re-use and reintegration
Southeast elevation of a historic building, affectionately
of the pavilion respecting its identity. while asserting
Wllh Sydney an autonomous presencc through
Gard<ms b6yond the use of sympathetic material..

AJ z6.05.11 J'
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1\J
51, r-,
Holbu(ne Museum (0 m ilS foliate $Citing and th~ depth of
the cer~'nic glaze (achieved with twO
sl ,p COJIS, $ingle -li.tcd) Me in1ernjon:illy
extension, Bath
ambiguou ,. Ambiguity ""-, m clement
of t he architectural order of the
Eric Party Arch.itects
- .- - • building in t he artificial conditio,! of

~
Typiu l ~lern~1 fa('llde ~clion ~ garden &erring "~ fhin tbe l<'>Wn, The
- - - 'illll orienl~tion of the origina.l building
The 'Slack' of new 5P:l(.'l:3 ~ nd , ht;r reinfnrcc$ thi s difterem:c - sunlit to
oo"',... SI;n; ~bl ioM 10 lhe vieW1 ~ nd
• Gre~t Pull ency Street and shadowed
garden eonsiH ofblind g-.aJkry WAUS in Ill<: g<'rdCI'l.
"ppcrnlo." g~ugetl open ings 10 duub1c r- E~i< P,,~'.Y, p"",dp" l, Ed( Pa rry
heighl rn lerlOOOll lC J,:\'CI~, A ,.(hi/ut<
trJnsp~renC)' I I l he g:lrden level, and
give rise to Ihe Iripartile ur.lOge mcJI{
of Ihe wall secl ion,
r- .... ~~ IIII~S ,_lit
• 150_ C<J>t8MI
G iven Ihe flOil ling naru rc of the
extcnsion, I ru led Oll l Ihe IIse of "OIlC,
which is $0 well ~ rl iculaled and logicAl
I
.....,
...... T..".won
gIu>~ l....--
v.CI> 60 ..... ..,... .......
W<l'V'ogf\lll
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or> dlt d;\$s jc~ 1 hu ild ing, "';Ih its
co_g, Double

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edge -... ftOmm
f\I$l k 'lIed b.~ carryi ng Ihe load o f thc
-~.
~, l 1<lfnm
build ing fab l ic , Icrminal ing wilh Ihe ... _oon
delico.lc silhOUCltc.l of the $10ne um$,
' nIt compalibility th at gla zed cel1lmic
, r- _
_ _l'II1ed
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1ow~

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W~,~t<IOI
.,.0'IbI.... l1rnm
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~nd gl as~ uff'cfl.,d seemed. good waJ to
work from th e bli nd fI)P wall (cer:lmi, )
) "",,'2_
""' .... ,.cI~otOtI
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"""'-od,Iud. ..
....... pt'" wnI'I .oem.. CiOInH .
to the Lghle!t poslIible vdl of glan ;n
, "'-' r_ .. ~
176m .. r_
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grottnd level. The mcdiuing middle
level i$, con$Cquentiy, ft combination of J,..Lt
~

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12.lIm .. ~
th e tWO, with Ihe glass pro\~djog a SS bOI1O<>1 I1~ ."" joO"I'oMj
"""''''''''11 p1ul_on

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prot ec ti\'!: screen tQ {he large-Kile o.uppoIt
et IWO &IP''''''' j ~mplyon

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com~ipe r of (h~ H olburn~ collenion pIol ... bdlHl I/) ....1.. 011OC1".,..,.
1l1 ~ cer:lm i ~ panels were the hrgt~t , • ~ •• ~mSHS
,-1". "_ •. ,....... 1 ............
the man!.lrlCn, ~r cou ld produce , ... 011 . ...." ..... ......., :Wmon ..",
Total C<lst £6_~ ".",. nccc$!it~ ting " ...-.ul thicknc% of RHS I1 C6f\CrO$ 10 poneIotl<'"Wj Il>
ClIenIlM Hob.Itne M..... m .... , e . ........ lOh_"""" ...
An::hltod Enc Pa.ry- AtdotOCl' 5001m. To ~void mati ng a gr id, I Pf.",,-, SS Co,a...., r.... 790,
Structurlll lIn',Iinftr envi saged from mr ~arliCSI sketches a $uppC ~ 18<l.1001)mrn
_
M&EC<lIISII _
c.:.n.u1MQ
_
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Ton i cri e$ of ce .... m i" hn! that oH the urrcr
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, bra.;ICt'
.. ,Ih SS pia",. 10 h;gt\ cOlaml<: r..

Quantity ...rwror FaiI:ttV:_Oouk\ levd WO\Ild con.::eal the vertical.toin! , ".. c . ,."..e~
L.""_~
$fCl,:ln, .,
H\:OIl(j 1_1o...r
ProIIocI ........r Cogg MoNgoomonI; s.rw:.e. ~ nd "AI inl<;cmcdi~t( kw l eovcr The iQwo ~ o n
gWod 3 '~,' eo,
IoIain conlr..:tor So- Rot>on ~
pos tS th~t carry the outer gloss skin. • ,ajoae,..n. ss "'9"
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t.ooo.mt
~- Th e lamimlfeU, low-iron gl .... s v~.il
i>OIlOmgl ... ing
.CO,,"\h"',
C6famo I,n
~ """"""""""- •• e';"n• • \ In '
~-'''''''' Mc>F.cado~
Fn C O I l . . - RornboI S.1e
is free of .::omplex joiming, (telling • ~Omm
co",mic clad<! ....
1\Qo, ~~ E.oeh fi~

...... ~?p~rcntliglttnc ... With the inner

,oppOrled ""
Ughbng conwltanl KSlO p.""I , ,,,,'h ~d 6mm SS b.te
c..........- .c~ _GtdIrt!"c !["ol~ng "At ground. floor, il form! a
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j6'n,. DltIW&e n plale wilh EPOM
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lriplc -gllzed W".IU that wnl ibtcs to SS l oppon poc<ero 1<»
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Acceu~J _ToPiN~
C8I6 fit-.oul SaII>ootn ArdwIe<:ta rrollO:: heat p.in.1lN: l~yers of
,eAe<ct ion on the ~ki n of t he b" il djn~
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bra""'," ",,(/1 SS
gI~I.' '0 _I,
fi.
tIo~tcllO RHS
~O"mo Ol boll~d
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T' >ectlQn

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