The rejuvenation of the Leeds City Art Gallery—‘Flair and determination’

The International3ournal of Museum Management and Curatorship (1983), 2, 159-170

The Rejuvenation of the Leeds City Art Gallery-‘Flair and Determination’

ALEX GORDON

Museum and art gallery directors may feel that in the prevailing economic climate it is useless even to consider much needed improvements. Leeds has shown, however, that this need not be so and this article records how, during the last few years, new life has been given to its Art Gallery. The background history is illuminating, and in 1876 the Leeds Municipality constructed a large library building, with superimposed orders and pavilion roofs, facing the east side of the Town Hall. At the rear, flanked on two sides by narrow streets, an Art Gallery was added in 1887-88. Both were designed by local architects, the former by George Corson and the latter by W.H. Thorpe. The approach to the Art Gallery was through the Library and until 1933, when some of the (c. 1840) buildings between Centenary Street and Park Lane were demolished and a memorial garden constructed, the exterior was hardly visible. The whole elevation of the Art Gallery came into full prominence only when the last massive Victorian office block was demolished in 1948. Shortly afterwards the Gallery was given its own entrance by the opening up of a doorway off Centenary Street across the memorial garden. Following a major exhibition of sculpture in 1958-outdoor as well as indoors and naturally including a number of works by Henry Moore (who was born near Leeds and attended the College of Art there)-the Gallery developed a particular interest in sculpture. Between 1962 and 1964 specially designed sculpture rooms were created and in 1966, in order

Leeds City Art Gallery: the original scheme for the extension as prepared by the Leeds City Council Department of Architecture and Landscape, July 1977.

0260-4779/83/020159-12SO3.00 0 1983 Butterworth & Co(Publishers)Ltd

160 Rejuvenation of Leeds City Art Gallery

Leeds City Art Gallery: the three schemes for the extension prepared by members of the Leeds City Council Department of Architecture and Landscape.

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to make something of the rather dull facade facing Centenary Street, the Arts Council sponsored a limited competition for high relief sculpture using the blank stone facade above the windows as a background. Robert S. Rowe, CBE, the Director of Art Galleries in Leeds,

writes:

A number of sculptors, all of whom had been Gregory Fellows at the University of Leeds, were commissioned to produce maquettes and drawings to show how they would tackle the problem. The results, varied and stimulating, are now in the permanent collection and have become historical documents belonging to the era before the final solution was found.

That the scheme came to nothing was due to the mood of uncertainty which followed almost at once and put a stop to this and all the other improvement programmes then in process of being implemented. It was even mooted at one stage that the Art Gallery was not worth preserving and that the site should be used for other purposes.

Leeds City Art Gallery: the revisions to the schemes for the extension, as put forward by Neville Conder of Casson and Conder.

When, in 1974, structural weaknesses were discovered in the floors of the Gallery, three of the large upstairs rooms had to be completely closed to the public and the Authority was faced with a crisis. A feasibility study based on largely rebuilding the existing structure suggested such high costs that implementation in the prevailing economic climate was impossible. By this time, however, attitudes had changed and the existing building was cautiously admitted to be ‘nearly a very good Gallery and quite worthy of the best site in the City’. Its stock had risen so much in fact that it had been ‘listed’ as a building of ‘Historic or Architectural Interest’. At this point Leeds began a period of particular ‘flair and determination’ extending through to the reopening of the rejuvenated Gallery by Her Majesty the Queen some eight years later in November 1982. Their initiative shows how an Authority can generate-where there is the will-very considerable financial resources by making up a package from a variety of sources in addition to its own expenditure. The prime mover was Councillor Dr Jeffrey Sherwin who conceived the idea of building an extension over Centenary Street, which had gradually become little more than an ugly parking lot for cars. The extension would provide both indoor and outdoor spaces for the display of sculpture and include many of the facilities planned in the rebuilding scheme so that, together with a rehabilitation of the existing building, Leeds would have a Gallery worthy of


Exterior of Leeds City Art Gallery seen across the enlarged Garden of Rest. The design of the modified Palladian motifs utilized for the Vestibule is taken over from the original building.

Extension to the City Art Gallery, Leeds. The Vestibule provides access to both the new extension and the original art galleries, and the new structure was completed in 1982.

ALEX GORDON 163

the City’s status and appropriate to its needs in the latter part of the twentieth century. The money was to be found from different sources, hot the least of which being from the provision, in the immediate area, of a public house to provide food and drink for all and

Direct access to both the Crafts Centre and Design Gallery, beneath the Vestibule, and the pub ‘Stumps’ (L.H.S.), is provided at ground level. The Crafts Centre is operated by the Leeds Art Collections Fund through a charitable com-

pany.

The podium of the new extension with Reclining Woman ‘SO, by Henry Moore (1980-82), presented by the sculptor, and the Leeds Town Hall behind.

sundry-including visitors to the Art Gallery. The rent from this, paid some ten years in advance, would provide vital capital towards the cost of the extension. Another essential element from the start was that the new building should include a Craft Centre and Design Gallery where the best products of our day could be shown and offered for sale and to the capital cost of which the Crafts Council would contribute. An application to the Arts Council for a grant under the ‘Housing the Arts’ scheme was initially received with restraint, but when pursued by the enthusiastic and determined Committee Chairman and Director of Art Galleries, Robert Rowe, the Council ultimately wrote in 1976:

The City Arts Gallery scheme is one of the most imaginative that we have seen in recent years and by far the biggest and most striking that we have come across to improve one of the major provincial galleries. The level of the Arts Council commitment-_ElOO 000 (since raised to El 50 000 incidentally)-is far in excess of anything that the Council has offered before under its Housing the Arts scheme for a municipal gallery and this shows the importance which the Council attaches to it.


View into the air-conditioned interior of the new extension and across the mezzanine link which gives access to the main and lower display areas, as well as the Crafts Centre and Design Gallery.

Moore Early CG Limited top daylight washes narrow panels of wall in this area whilst, in accordance with the wishes of Henry Moore, the sculptures are lit by tungsten spotlights. The heavy duty Granwood block floor is on the same level as the delivery bay

ALEX GORDON 165

Although the funding was for the extension, where a high proportion of the new space would be for sculpture, the Arts Council did not tie their contribution to any specific location for temporary hanging space. With an assured contribution also from the City Council itself, the extension was now a viable possibility.

Exterior detail of the new extensionshowingthefine quality ashlar sandstone cladding and the skylights providing the limited daylight in the main display area.

Design had in fact commenced in 1975, the first proposals envisaging the sculpture gallery as a glass box; but Henry Moore took a particular interest in the proposals and advised that natural light should be largely excluded, and artificial lighting and ventilation relied upon. He acted as an adviser on lighting and display, and in the development of a brief, and agreed that the new building be named The Moore Sculpture Gallery. The proposed new building was to provide 9400 square feet of space, including an open-air sculpture garden at roof level, and the design was sufficiently far advanced for application to be made in July 1977 for Planning Permission, and ‘Listed Building’ consent to alter the ground floor of the Library building (for the public house) and extend the Gallery over Centenary Street into the Garden of Rest. The Planning and Development Committee gave their blessing, subject to ‘Listed Building’ consent, early in October 1977. Meanwhile the Royal Fine Art Commission had been consulted and considered the proposals prepared by the Leeds Director of Architecture and Landscaping at its meeting on 12 October 1977-at which the Leeds Council, the Historic Buildings Council, the Arts Council, and the Standing Commission on Museums and Galleries were represented. The Commission thought that the brief for the proposals was a completely acceptable one, indeed one deserving strong support. They also agreed with the siting and did not feel that a new building in the location would detract from the quality of the nineteenth century group. They did not, however, find the design of the building submitted either appropriate to its setting or acceptable in its own right. They believed that here was an .opportunity for a building of great importance and they strongly recommended the setting up of an open architectural competition. About the same time the Listing Committee of the Historic Building Council recommended to the Secretary of State that the scheme should be called in, and he agreed to do so. Representations had been made by the Victorian Society who welcomed the extension but also criticized the design and the Secretary of State advised the Local Authority on 14 October that the proposals should be fully examined at an Enquiry.


Informal discussions were held immediately between the Royal Fine Art Commission, the Gallery Director, the Architect and the Chairman of the Galleries Committee, at which the Commission modified its view about the setting up of an open competition because of pressure oftime and suggested the answer might be the employment of a Consultant. In reply the Director of Architecture and Landscaping suggested that he would first like to hold an internal office competition. This was held and the results seen by a group of Commissioners. Although they found nothing of distinction, three of the schemes appeared to them to merit further development and they therefore suggested that their possibilities should be further explored. These three schemes were considered by the full Commission at their meeting on 7 December 1977. The Commission sadly found that, whilst there were points of interest in each, in none was there a really satisfactory solution, and in none was there a quality of architectural thinking which they considered was capable of producing a building worthv of the site. The architect was faced with one of the most difficult of all problems: that of making a modern extension to a building of an earlier age, in a sympathetic way. The Commission felt, therefore, they must reiterate their earlier opinion that the advice of a Consultant should be taken. Mr Neville Conder was duly appointed and, together with the Leeds Director of Architecture and Landscaping, presented his proposals to the Commission on 8 March 1978, the Historic Building Council also being represented. In his proposals the existing doorway and the adjacent similar window were removed from the old structure and reused to form a projecting porch which would give access to both the old and the new galleries. The new gallery itself was now shorter and thicker than the earlier submissions (thereby avoiding their ‘parked tramcar’ quality) and, to tie it firmly back to the old building, part of the pitched roof

Interior of the lower display area with the opening exhibition, Dutch Seventeenth Century Paintings, installed. This area may be used for the display of small sculptures, if desired, but has no heavy goods

access.

ALEX GORDON 167

The former News Room of the Leeds City Library has been redeveloped as the Study Centre Exhibition Space and is immediately adjacent to the Students’ Room of the Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture. This area has been designed by John Thorp in consultation with Sir Leslie Martin.

of the latter was continued down over the roof sculpture terrace. The Commission welcomed the proposals, which they believed would produce not only a building of quality but a greatly enhanced Garden of Rest. The Commission also asked, in view of the need for great subtlety of detailing, that the services of Mr Conder should be retained so that from time to time he would be able to review the drawings whilst work was in progress, and advised the Authority accordingly on 17 March 1978.

A public exhibition was held in Leeds and, there being no substantial public objection to the proposals, ‘Listed Building’ consent was given. The project could therefore proceed. Detailed drawings were prepared by John Thorp of the City’s Department of Architecture and Landscape and tenders invited. The Gallery was closed in December 1979 and work commenced on site in January 1980, Henry Moore laying the foundation stone on 10 April 1980. Councillor Sherwin, his Committee and the Gallery staff had overcome all the difficulties, and their initiative in building up the financial package meant that of a total cost of A900 000 the City Council had to fund considerably less than half. They had, meanwhile, turned their attention with similar flair to the rehabilitation of the existing building where a detailed structural survey by Ove Arup and Partners had shown that extensive strengthening was necessary. Henry Moore’s own recollection of the negligible facilities available for the study of sculpture when he was a student at Leeds prompted him, 60 years on, to suggest that a Sculpture Study Centre-the first of its kind in Britain-should be incorporated in the rejuvenated gallery, and the Henry Moore Foundation agreed to put up the money for its design, construction and fitting out amounting to well over E300 000. From the summer of


The gallery spaces at the head of the stairs of the old City Art Gallery after refurbishing. The reinforcing of these floors has been inserted into the ceiling structure of the rooms below, and the

refurbishing programme has been undertaken by John Thorp, the project architect.

Entrance to the Yorkshire Bank Gallery, refurbished in 1981-82. Sponsorship ofa gallery could be ‘bought’ for a 430 000 contribution to the programme. The reinforcing of the floors in this area of the old galleries led to a small raising of floor levels which is masked by the shallow ramps in the doorways.

ALEX GORWN 169

1979, Robert Rowe, the Director, and Terry Friedman, a Principal Keeper, developed the aims and activities for the Centre, and John Thorp planned it with Sir Leslie Martin as adviser representing the Foundation. There was to be a library, study room, archives, lecture theatre and exhibition spaces for historic pieces and maquettes all closely related to the

The former South Gallery has been refurbished as the Leslie and Anita Silver Gallery, devoted to twentieth century paintings and sculpture. This gives access (R.H.S.) to the Roof Top Sculpture

Court.

permanent collection of the Art Gallery and the new Moore Sculpture Gallery. The Centre also now receives an annual grant from the Henry Moore Foundation and has commenced the publication of books on sculpture. The proposal for the centre and the assurance that money for the work was available justified the commencement of the structural improvements of the existing building and led on to consideration of improvement of, a large proportion of the remainder of the old galleries. This, however, required additional funding and an inter-party political appeals committee was formed, the prime movers being the Chairman of the Leisure Services Committee (by now Councillor Bernard Atha), his predecessor Dr Sherwin, and his successor Councillor Elizabeth Nash. Nearly 4220 000 was raised from non-rate-fund sources (including E30 000 from the Museums and Galleries Commission). The bulk of the money came from private individuals and firms on the basis of sponsoring a gallery (named after them) for A30 000, or a named plaque on the risers of the main stairs for E2000. The funding pattern of the Extension was therefore repeated and the work was able to go ahead with little more than half the cost falling upon the City Council; this representing the essential structural reinstatement-normal maintenance-the improvement being fully met from non-rate-fund sources. The work on the Study Centre and the gallery improvements was programmed in order that it and the extension should be


completed at the same time-and so it was. Her Majesty The Queen-in the presence of Henry Moore and Helmut Schmidt (Dortmund is twinned with Leeds)--opened the refurbished gallery, its extension and the Study Centre on 26 November 1982. The work to date had cost approximately E2 000 000, and money had also been raised by auctioning a Henry Moore print among the Friends of the Gallery, sufficient to fit out a room for the Friends’ use.

Success, stemming from initiative and dedication, had gathered momentum during the operation and Leeds now has a lively modern Art Gallery, complete with the Sculpture Study Centre, galleries (both indoor and outdoor) for Sculpture and Paintings, Library, Lecture Theatre, a Crafts Centre and Design Gallery-and a Public House for visitors. All that is necessary to complete the complex is air-conditioning of the original galleries and the rehabilitation of the back part of the old building to provide reserve storage, loading bay and lift, Print Room, Children’s Workshops, Exhibition Gallery, and a Restaurant. The Director was able to announce in December 1982 that the Henry Moore Foundation was ready to make a further E600 000 available for this! Work will commence shortly. What a pleasure it is to record such a success story. Can others benefit from the telling of it?

Roof Top Sculpture Court with the large porch over the entrances into the Leslie and Anita Silver Gallery. Short stretches of wall act both as backgrounds for sculptures and as windbreaks.

Documents

The rejuvenation of the Leeds City Art Gallery—‘Flair and determination’