Project Completion: Winchester Guildhall Refurbishment
1st Feb 2011
In March 2010 Gentle Consulting was appointed as Project Manager, Construction Manager and Cost Consultant for the phased refurbishment and alteration of Winchester Guildhall. The building itself is over 150 years old and a listed building so the works were required to be monitored and approved by a Conservation Officer, Building Control Officer and the Head of Winchester Estates.
The refurbishment has provided a major enhancement to the Guildhall with a new café opening onto The Broadway and Abbey Gardens, new level access from The Broadway, a lift to all floors, refurbished staircases and display areas for historical items from the City’s collection. King Alfred Hall has a new stainless steel roof and the interior has been completely refurbished with the original decorative metal balustrade exposed for the first time in 60 years. A legacy from Bapsybanoo Parvey made much of the refurbishment of the 150 year old Guildhall possible and in appreciation of Bapsybanoo Parvey and her legacy Winchester City Council has renamed King Alfred Hall to The Bapsy Hall.
Late 2010 saw the opening of Cafe "eighteen 71", the name being chosen from a competition held by Winchester City Council, and the Guildhall hosting its first wedding since its refurbishment.
Practical completion of the project took place at the end of December 2010 and 14 February 2011 saw the newly refurbished Guildhall handed over to the Mayor of Winchester, Councillor Richard Izard.
Gentle Consulting has been proud to work with Winchester City Council on this very prestigious project and look forward to continuing the working relationship in the future.
From start to finish, Gentle provided a diligent yet refreshingly agile approach. The project was completed on time and to budget.
