Hugh Broughton Architects have completed the refurbishment of the Bridge Chapel and Chamber for the Rochester Bridge Trust on a prominent site alongside the river Medway in Kent. The key aims of the project were to make the buildings fully accessible for functions and public events and provide adequate environmental conditions for the storage of the Trust’s archive.
The Trust was established in 1399 and the site has been continuously occupied by the Trust since that time. Although it has served various uses in its life and lay in ruin for many years, the Chapel itself dates back to the origins of the Trust. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and it was substantially refurbished in 1937. The Chamber, a Grade II Listed Building, was constructed in 1879.
Despite the robust construction of both buildings, internal fabric was in need of refurbishment and space was unsuitable for working staff and members of the public attending functions. Building services were inadequate and access through the building was poor. As a consequence, the Trust’s administrative activities were managed off-site.
HBA’s proposals have been developed to address the current condition of the buildings and ensure their long term sustainability. The intervention focuses on sensitive refurbishment principles and seeks to minimise impact on both historic fabric and the surrounding setting.
A new retractable platform lift has been discreetly integrated within the main entrance hall. Clad in stone, it merges seamlessly with the existing flight of steps.
A new cloakroom, toilets and catering facilities have been introduced, floor finishes sensitively replaced throughout the ground floor and building services have been upgraded to provide enhanced environmental conditions to the archive. A second platform lift provides access to the building’s first floor and is located in an area previously occupied by redundant plant.
At first floor level, the Court Room and Reading Room have been sensitively refurbished and toilet facilities reconfigured to provide enhanced access to plant located within the loft space.
A small timber clad enclosure in the rear courtyard provides space for two Air Source Heat Pumps serving the buildings and a small bins storage area. The project completed in the summer of 2022.
