Listed Building Consent has been granted for the installation of new organ and lighting to the west end of Bedford School chapel. The chapel is grade II* listed and an important late work of George Frederick Bodley, assisted by Cecil Hare who completed and furnished it after Bodley’s death. It is a building of great refinement.

MBA are architects, project managers and heritage consultants for the project. We enjoyed studying Bodley, his works and writings, and applying his twelve principles of architecture to the building as a way of understanding it.

The work involves removing the original organ, recycling its designed panelling to line the interior of the adjacent tower, and installing a  new organ with vastly improved musical qualities. The organ will have a set of ‘choir’ pipes cantilevering over the nave supported by a new steel frame threaded through the existing gallery.

The organ is designed and built by William Drake Limited and will be installed in 2027. Dr William McVicker is organ consultant and Price & Myers are structural engineers.

We’re really pleased to be working with Feilden Fowles, Stories, Skelly&Couch, Cast Consultancy, Structure Workshop and others on a transformation and decarbonisation of this wonderful college originally designed by Basil Champneys. AJ has published a notice here https://lnkd.in/eYF2b8ig

Upcoming lectures by Marcus Beale

• Cambridge University – Architects Scope of service and fees – 5 October 2023
• Nottingham University – Architects Scope of service and fees – 15 November 2023
• Nottingham University – Conservation Legislation and Heritage Assessment – 6 December 2023
• Stanton Williams – Sound, Music, Architecture – CPD – 18 January 2024

Wimbledon BookFest catalogue now out. More details at www.wimbledonbookfest.org

MBA have supported BookFest since its foundation.

It’s a fab festival, held on the Common, in tents, attracts top international authors, and is always pushing the edge…

A new paper here summarises how to manage change in highly protected historic environments.

It is based on decades of practical experience as a design architect in historic settings, 20 years+  in design review and acting as conservation architects on major conservation projects.

Comments welcomed.

Managing Change in Built Heritage

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