Conservation Issues in the Design of the United Kingdom Supreme Court

Abstract

This paper describes some of the key thinking behind the proposals to convert Middlesex Guildhall into the new United Kingdom Supreme Court. It describes the background to the project and the arguments put forward to relevant authorities to persuade them that the proposed interventions would enhance the building, be beneficial in the long term and be acceptable within a broad cultural spectrum. In heritage terms, the overall aim was to conserve the building positively for the next generation.One of the key issues that arose during the public consultation period was the degree to which the preservation of historic fabric should determine the design and use of a building being adapted for a major new use. These issues were resolved by taking an holistic approach which emphasized the cultural significance of the new use to balance the level of intervention seen necessary to achieve it.