070 FOCUS
became the starting point for our architectural response. The
project then developed into lifting the lid on St Cecilia’s
Hall, cracking open the door to reveal it to the world.’
To create a legible, public face to the museum and
concert hall, an unsympathetic 1960s addition was removed.
This move allowed for a new stunning entrance on Niddry
Street to be built. Henderson describes the addition as a
‘battery pack’ containing all the supporting functions,
including a double-height entrance foyer at ground floor
and staff accommodation and services on the upper levels.
The rich colours, textures and patterns of the 1725
harpsichord informed the architectural response,
cementing the relationship between the building and the
collection. For example, the shape of the instrument’s lid
referenced the opening gates. Meanwhile, the beautifully
choreographed flowers and parrots of the instrument
inspired both the intricate treatment of the perforated bronze
stainless steel façade and the subtle pattern of the exposed
concrete soffit of the entrance foyer and gilded ceilings.
The interior palette stemmed from the materials in the
collection. Black oak was employed for the floors and walls
to provide a warm, neutral backdrop that offsets the
instruments’ rich gilding and the new concrete and limestone
finishes. The black oak also intensifies the visitor experience.
‘Volumetrically, people arrive in a double-height space,
and like air being squeezed through an instrument are
funnelled up into a tight, twisting, black oak-lined entrance
staircase, which reflects the Serpent, a beautiful bass wind
instrument housed in the museum,’ says Henderson.
‘Visitors then enter a new ramped link to the existing
ground floor galleries.’
To enliven the interior, flashes of raspberry leather were
used for the upholstered fixed seating in the foyer and to
line the demountable panels within one of the principal
galleries. Within the Concert Room, a soft pink, textured,
upholstery was employed on top of the fixed seating.
‘We sought to rationalise and enhance the supporting
spaces to reinforce the importance of the magnificent
room at its centre,’ says Henderson.
Since St Cecilia’s Hall re-opened in May 2017, visitor
numbers have surged, a clear indication that Page\Park
Architects’ sensitive re-working of the historic building has
been a great success.Left Within the Concert
Room, a soft pink, textured,
upholstery was employed on
top of the fixed seating
Below The building is also
home to a museumALL IMAGES: JIM STEPHENSON