The Queens Gallery
Buckingham Palace, London
- Developer: The Royal Household Property Section
- Architect: John Simpson & Partners
- Project Manager: Wates Construction
- PMasonry Contractor: Cathedral Works Organisation (Chichester) Limited / Axtell Perry Symms
- Material: Independent Basebed
The project comprises the careful and classical redevelopment of the public art gallery at Buckingham Palace, the Queen's Gallery. The expanded Gallery houses the royal collection of over 9000 pictures, collectables, sculptures, armour and jewellery.
John Simpson & Partners were keen to ensure that the redevelopment of the existing Queen's Gallery would utilise the classical architectural style and bring synergy to the Gallery and the Palace's design.
Portland Stone was specified and The Project Team visited the quarry to select an aesthetically suitable stone from the Quarry Control Samples. Once the range had been reviewed Independent Basebed was chosen.
The construction of the Gallery utilised recycled Portland Stone already on the building with the addition of a new continuous cill course of Portland Independent Basebed featuring Bath Stone above the course leading into 4 large arched windows.
Albion Stone also supplied Independent Basebed for an imposing the entrance to the Gallery from Buckingham Palace Road which included 8 grand fluted columns spanned by 3 metre stone beams to create a Portico featuring a dark red granite frieze. Additional Portland Stone was also supplied for the Queen's retiring ro5om.
Albion Stone supplied approximately 115 cubic metres of block to Axtell Perry Symms for manufacture with Cathedral Works' specialist masons fixing the stone on site. The project was completed in the Autumn of 2001with an approximate value of £12million. In 2002 the Queens Gallery Project was Highly Commended in the Natural Stone Awards in the New Build Category.
Nearest Tube: Victoria