Renovation of the Cast Courts

The V&A has appointed Julian Harrap Architects and Metaphor for the refurbishment of its famous Cast Courts.

First opened in 1873, the Cast Courts are among the most popular galleries in the V&A and house some of the Museum's largest and most loved objects, such as the 5.5 metre high cast of Michelangelo's David and a plaster cast of Trajan's Column, displayed in two pieces which if put together would reach 35.6 metres high.

Originally designed by General Henry Scott, the Cast Courts are arranged as two double-height, day-lit courts. Plans for their renovation include reinstating the Victorian decorative scheme to enhance the architectural detail of the galleries, restoring the tiled floor and opening up archways between the galleries to create new vistas. Areas of damage to the roof, ceiling and walls will be also be repaired.

Moira Gemmill, V&A's Director of Projects, Design and Estate, said:

"Collecting replicas of famous sculptures and monuments was a 19th-century phenomenon and the real challenge in refurbishing the Cast Courts is to bring them up to the standards of the 21st Century while retaining their Victorian charm. We want to restore and enhance the original architectural features of the Cast Courts and modernise the displays. There was a real affinity between Julian Harrap Architects' proposal and our own aims. JHA have become renowned for their sensitive approach to restoring historic buildings and we are confident we have chosen the right partner for this exciting project."

Julian Harrap said of winning the commission:

'We are delighted to have been chosen as the lead consultant for the refurbishment of the V&A's Cast Courts. These 19th-century courts are beautiful architectural spaces in their own right which deserve to be brought back to their original splendor. When completed, they will provide a wonderful setting for the V&A's renowned collection of casts.'

The refurbishment of the Cast Courts will also offer V&A sculpture curators the opportunity to further research the casts and new interpretation will be a central part of the project. New labels will be created and a small number of digital screens with short, silent films will be incorporated into the galleries. Metaphor will be responsible for overseeing the re-display of the objects and graphics.

The single storey space running between the Cast Courts will be transformed into an introductory gallery explaining how the casts came to be in the V&A, their importance to 19th-century museums and their relevance today. This introductory gallery will show massed displays of smaller casts, which are not currently on display, and will explain the methods and techniques involved in making casts.

The gallery refurbishment is expected to be complete in 2013. The improvement works will be carried out in two Phases.  Phase 1 works will encompass works  to Gallery 46b  and will be closed from the 1st February 2011 until the end of 2012.  However, Gallery 46a will remain open during this period.