Wardown House is a mid-Victorian mansion house, originally constructed as a domestic dwelling. It became a museum in 1931 and is one of 100 listed buildings in the Luton area. The museum is owned and managed by Luton Culture and displays artefacts from local and national history collections.
Buttress was appointed by Luton Culture and Luton Borough Council to deliver a National Lottery Heritage Fund backed project to enhance the building’s function as a museum.
A key aim of the project was to resolve access issues and DDA to principal spaces in the museum. A lift was relocated in the house enabling upper floors to be accessed, the lift shaft facilities, security measures and fire exit were also reconfigured to improve health and safety requirements.
The museum's education and commercial elements were also improved and integrated into the presentation of the museum. The dining room café and gift shop were relocated to overlook Wardown Park with the original features used to support the commercial offer, creating a holistic experience for visitors. Formerly unused back of house spaces have been given new life to house the education suite.
Image credits
© Gavin Stewart
Stephen Anderson
Stephen leads the practice's heritage team, specialising in projects that involve listed buildings and heritage assets and responding to their impact on place and local communities.
Neal Charlton
Neal leads Buttress' arts and culture team, with a focus on the restoration, care and adaptation of historic and listed buildings.