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£8.2m restoration of Sir John Soane's Pitzhanger Manor
Evening Standard 13 May 2008
A dream home built by one of Britain's most famous architects is to undergo restoration.
Pitzhanger Manor, now a Grade I-listed building, was designed by Sir John Soane in 1800 as a weekend retreat and to house his collection of art and antiquities.
The restoration will reveal many rooms currently closed to the public. Inappropriate 20th-century additions will be stripped out and the grounds will be landscaped.
Ealing council is kick-starting the work with a £2.8 million grant. The total cost will be £8.2 million. Jason Stacey, leader of the council, said: "Pitzhanger Manor is an important part of the country's and Ealing's heritage, which is why we are making major funds available."
The house, which took four years to build, contains some of Soane's most impressive interiors, including domes, vaults and an archway derived from his work for the Bank of England.
Michael Shippobottom, a consultant architect on the restoration, said: "As an example of his skills, the house is outstanding and uses many of the motifs he was developing elsewhere."
