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Fulham Palace wins major award
A major project to restore Fulham Palace to its former glory has won a prestigious award at a ceremony described as the Oscars of the built and natural environment.
The innovative scheme at the Grade One listed building came first in the conservation category for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) London Awards beating other major, high-profile restoration projects such as St Pancras Station and the Royal Festival Hall. The project was particularly acclaimed for its value for money and for its balance of sustainability, usability and affordability.
The project also came in overall runner-up across all of the four categories at the ceremony. As runner-up it will now compete in the grand finals for the national RICS award in October.
The RICS awards recognise excellence, value for money and a commitment to sustainability. They celebrate every aspect of rural and urban regeneration and reward those organisations and individuals developing and conserving the environment.
Fulham Palace was owned by the Bishops of London for over 1300 years. It became vacant in 1975 and is now managed jointly by Hammersmith & Fulham Council and the Fulham Palace Trust.
In summer of 2003 the Council undertook a borough-wide consultation on the future of Fulham Palace and its grounds. The Council received extensive feedback on how the public wanted to see the site develop from many stakeholders including the Fulham Society, Friends of Fulham Palace, The Fulham Architectural Rescue Group and the Hammersmith & Fulham Historic Building Group. A Palace director was recruited and a strategic masterplan for the Palace’s phased restoration and reuse was created.
The emphasis was placed on providing the tax payer with value for money, securing the Palace with a sustainable source of income, community benefit, bringing abandoned areas back into use and ensuring that the fabric of the Grade One listed historic building was not compromised.
The first phase of the scheme saw the Fulham Palace museum enhanced and linked to the Palace. An art gallery and restaurant was created, a functions facility was built and office space was provided. This cost a total of £4.5 million, with the council providing £1.4 million, the Heritage Lottery Fund £3.026 million, and the Fulham Palace Trust £60,000.
Cllr Frances Stainton, Cabinet Member for Culture and Heritage, said: "I am delighted and indeed proud that this project has won such a prestigious award. It really is wonderful that after a lot of work and the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund we have been able to restore Fulham Palace to its former glory. Residents and visitors to Hammersmith and Fulham will benefit enormously from the regeneration of arguably the borough’s finest asset. The restoration will enable us the create a borough of opportunity by ensuring that people, whether local or from far and wide can enjoy the palace at many level, which can include holding wedding receptions, attending education classes in the museum or just admiring the beautiful architecture. This really is wonderful news. I am delighted and would like to extend my congratulations to all who have made it possible."
Scott Cooper, Director of Fulham Palace, said: "I am thrilled that the Palace has won such a highly-respected award that recognises the innovative and brave approach by the council. It has been a very challenging project but everything now seems to be coming together. Our café will be relaunched in early June and the gallery will be hosting the prestigious Terry O’Neill photography awards later in the year. The museum is also going from strength to strength and we have many more exciting plans for the future."
These further plans include the intention to improve the walled garden, vinery, stables and Gothic Lodge. The council has applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund for funding for this under its Bishops Park improvements plans and expects to hear back in September.
Once that work has been completed, the council hopes to restore the Tudor West Quadrangle, create more museum space and provide more rooms for functions.
Barry Woodman, Chairman of RICS Awards London Region Judges said: "Although tucked away in a surprisingly rural location on the banks of the Thames, this amazing complex of historic buildings appeared to have rather lost their way since the Bishops of London moved out and the site was acquired by the local Council. With the appointment of an enthusiastic Director, and successful efforts to obtain funding for the restoration, work could at last proceed to rescue the grade 1 listed buildings. Great emphasis was placed upon the need for the facilities to be self-supporting as far as possible in the future and some bold but far-sighted decisions have been incorporated to relieve the local tax payers of further liability."
For details of the proposals for the walled garden in Phase 2 see the Garden Organic website
