CONTEXT 184 : JUNE 2025 33 exhibits include paintings and arts-and-crafts furniture. Care standards for museums and collections have come a long way since the 1870s, and the roof design was simply not performing. The primary issue was that the lantern, last renewed in the 1960s, was thermally inappropriate for the building’s use. It lost heat in the winter, and experienced extreme solar gain in the summer, causing huge swings in temperature and atmospheric humidity. The open grilles and laylight design mean that these fluctuations are shared by the exhibition space below. UV from natural light is damaging to the collection. This has resulted in the lantern and laylight being painted over with emulsion internally and bitumen externally to reduce both UV and solar gain. Consequently, the original architectural intent of the gallery as a top-lit space has been lost but reinstating that light would be extremely damaging. In addition, the roof voids are extremely difficult to access and maintain. Future-proofing Funded by Arts Council England and Brighton and Hove City Council, the consented works will see the replacement of the non-original external roof lantern with an insulated, solidlead roof construction, and the conservation and/or renewal and insulation of the surrounding slate, cast iron and wood surfaces to the roofscape. Together, the works will significantly improve the building’s thermal performance and prevent the entry of natural light to the gallery below. The lead rolls to the new roof will follow the spacing of the former roof lantern. Creating a warm roof space means that the cast-iron grilles can remain as they are, avoiding internal changes. The loss of the roof lantern is balanced by the opportunity to reinstate translucent glazing to the coffered laylight, and artificially light the gallery from above. This will reinstate the original architectural intent of the gallery as a top-lit space without the risk of UV damage to the collections housed below. The rainwater drainage capacity has been assessed, and the lead gutters and rainwater details have been redesigned to exceed current standards, offering resilience against climate change and increasing rainfall. The specification and design of the works have consistently accounted for Brighton’s marine environment, for example in the specification of materials, surface preparation and paints. Improving safety, access, maintenance and longevity is also a core aspect of the project. The works will establish new safe access walkways throughout the roof void to aid routine internal maintenance, and services will be rationalised to improve efficiency and reduce excess power use. Improvements to fire protection will be made throughout the roof void, including new fire compartments and a second fire-escape door at the north end of the roof. The logistics and museum decant have been challenging, as has the temporary rainwater management on such a congested roofscape. The scaffold design faced significant constraints from the building, including the old stables drainage and vaults under the gallery floor. The gallery and its laylight as it is now (left) and a CGI showing how the proposed works would reinstate the gallery’s original top-lit design, protecting collections from UV damage. (Photos: Donald Insall Associates) Donald Insall Associates is architect, lead consultant and CDM principal designer, and BSA principal designer. Edward Lewis is practice director and London Studio lead at Donald Insall Associates, and Olivia Stitson is senior architect responsible for the project.
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