Westminster Abbey Projects, London

Westminster Abbey is one of the most historically significant buildings in the United Kingdom and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Any new intervention within the Abbey precinct requires exceptional care to ensure that the historic architecture and its relationship to the surrounding townscape are preserved.

GMJ supported two major architectural projects at Westminster Abbey designed by Ptolemy Dean, Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey. These included the creation of a new tower providing public access to the Abbey’s galleries, and a new Sacristy building.

Both projects required careful visual analysis and presentation material to demonstrate how the new architecture would relate to the Abbey’s historic fabric and the surrounding Westminster skyline.

Client : Westminster Abbey

Architect : Ptolemy Dean, Surveyor of the Fabric of Westminster Abbey

Projects

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Galleries Tower

The tower project created a new vertical circulation structure providing public access to the Abbey’s historic triforium galleries.

Designed by Ptolemy Dean, the tower sits within the complex Gothic architecture of the Abbey and required careful assessment to demonstrate how it would integrate with the historic structure.

The tower has now been completed and opened to the public.

Abbey Sacristy

The Sacristy project created a new building providing essential support spaces for the Abbey’s liturgical and operational needs.

The design required careful consideration of the Abbey precinct and its relationship to the surrounding historic buildings.

GMJ provided :

• Creating accurate visual material to demonstrate how the proposed architecture would integrate with the historic Abbey fabric

• Producing imagery to support design development and consultation

• Preparing visual material used in planning and stakeholder presentations

Working on projects at Westminster Abbey required an exceptional level of sensitivity due to the building’s global historical significance and its location within the highly protected Westminster World Heritage Site.