Cheltenham Art Gallery

Looking back at…

‘Countryside around Dixton Manor’, a panoramic landscape in the collection. A panorama is a device used to reveal a wide angled view of a landscape. AiR used this spatial idea as a generator for the new building.

A new atrium runs fully from top to bottom and front to back acting as an organising device with frequent views into the gallery to provide a clear orientation. The central point in the atrium will be a large bench on the first floor, set in front of the painting so as to view both it and the panorama of the gallery itself.

The new extension is a solid timber box combining in one layer the functions of moisture absorption, thermal insulation, thermal inertia, fire resistance and physical strength. This allows heating and cooling to work passively for most of the gallery’s use.