Art / rwa
RWA one step closer to restoration
The RWA is one step closer to restoring its Grade II* listed art gallery.
The £3.8m heritage project, Light & Inspiration in Bristol, will preserve the building for the future. The RWA has secured a further £1.37m through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, meaning that just £425,000 need to be raised.
The project will save the RWA gallery from permanent closure and will make the building more accessible and welcoming to all visitors.
is needed now More than ever
The restoration will also replace original sky-light windows, strengthen the roof, remodel the facade, transform the forecourt.
Unaided access to all galleries for the first time, with a lift on the side of the building and the gallery will be able to invest in more community exhibitions and learning programmes.
Artist visualisation of the finished restoration. Image: RWA
“We are thrilled to have received this support thanks to National Lottery players,” says RWA director Alison Bevan.
“Without this project there was a real risk the RWA would have to close its doors not just for lockdown, but permanently, and instead it is now set to achieve its potential as a major regional gallery.”
The changes will allow 40 per cent more visitors to visit the gallery, as well as making the RWA more economically and environmentally sustainable.
Stuart McLeod, director London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support the RWA to ensure that the gallery, an important part of Bristol’s heritage, is able to continue welcoming visitors in the future and is accessible to all.
The RWA received building consent in August 2020 for the work and work will begin before Christmas. The building will close to the public from June 2021 and reopen in January 2022.
While the site is shut, the RWA will work with partners across Bristol to bring art to the city.
Main photo: Lisa Whiting
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