Architect - Inskip and Jenkins

Contractor - Heery International

Brief description of works carried out –

The Gilbert Collection, consisting of gold and silverware and micro mosaics was brought to Britain from America where it had outgrown its previous home, on the understanding that it would be housed in Somerset House, as part of the rebirth of Somerset House as a public building. The Embankment Building built on the site of the Water Gates, which were used by boat visitors to Somerset House, prior to the Victorian Embankment being built, had for many years been used for storing documents. It consisted of a brick vaulted room 130 metres long x 8 metres wide x 7 metres high with a mezzanine floor which was removed prior to its remodelling. A new mezzanine floor was installed in the central area, creating a full height area at each end. The brickwork was cleaned of all the existing plaster and paint, before Cooks replastered all the walls and vaulted ceilings with a three coat hydraulic lime render imported from Italy. A Travertine finish was used to add character and all surfaces were painted with a lime paint of a similar colour to the render. Because of the irregular shape of the walls, it was necessary to apply in excess of 85mm to upright the walls and ensure each section was parallel to a central gridline. In addition to the work in the Embankment building, work was carried out in the lower floors of the south wing building, repairing the existing walls and ceilings with haired lime plaster including replacing defective cornice with new in situ run cornice to match the existing.