Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation

No. 14 : New Opportunities With A Revised Vision Plan

The restoration of No.14 Lincoln's Inn Fields, the "House Next Door" to Sir John Soane's Museum, began in earnest in May 2006. Longtime supporters will recall, No.14 was acquired in 1996. It came on to the market quite unexpectedly. The Museum was tipped off early about its sale and was able to offer the asking the price almost immediately. This came via an emergency grant from the newly set up Heritage Lottery Fund and a number of private benefactors who responded generously and quickly. Thus the whole thing happened very speedily. No. 14 continued to be occupied with tenants then for several years after it was acquired by the Museum. This gave the Museum time to raise more than £1 million to fund the restoration and to make plans for the integration of the house into the Museum - hence the start date of 2006.

	No. 14 is the smallest of the 3 buildings as it was built by Soane as a rental income property. Soane took the stable yard area of No. 14 to construct the Picture Room in 1824 which connects into No. 13.

An early look with this cutaway of No. 14

Now, the roof has been replaced, steel beams are inserted to strengthen floors and ceilings, and the lead plumbing in the house which is believed to be original from Soane’s work of the 1820s and has been carefully kept wherever possible! However, No. 14 has had new services installed throughout, including plumbing and wiring.. Whilst this work has been going on, craftsmen have been busy stripping down the original mahogany doors, windows, and window shutters that, miraculously, have remained in situ since the house was built by Soane in 1824.

First Floor Drawing Room with dramatic
windows out to Lincoln's Inn Fields

Beautiful original mahogany doors to be restored

Details of ceiling moulding pattern

A tremendous amount of work remains to be done over the next nine months or so to bring No.14 up to the standard of its famous neighbor. And whilst the structural repairs and service renewals have all been paid for, Museum Director, Tim Knox, still needs to raise funds for the decoration and furnishing of this magnificent building. Research into the historic decoration is currently underway, which will ensure that No 14 Lincoln's Inn Fields is restored to Soane-ian splendor, as well as providing much needed facilities for education and research.

Please contact the Foundation or Museum for opportunities for support!

An early test patch opened into the
wall to reveal structure beneath.

Looking through an arch to the main staircase.

The original stair rail survives.

Helen Dorey, Deputy Director provides a more in-depth update on work at No. 14 as of mid-September 2006

Work began on the restoration of No. 14 on May 1 under the direction of the Site Manager for E. Fuller and Son, Mick Roberts. The first task was to complete the stripping out of the building - the removal of unsightly fire lobbies, partitions, services, false ceilings and plasterboard wall linings. On the ground and first floors in particular the elegance of the original Soane spaces was immediately apparent - especially with the removal of the infill to the large arched opening into the back room on the first floor.

No. 14 with scaffolding erected for the roofing project and façade restoration.

Infill wall to be removed to restore original open archway between rooms.

A number of fascinating discoveries have been made in the course of this work. On the fourth floor, investigations revealed that the front two rooms had originally been one room and the modern partition has now been removed. The original internal lead soil-pipe running full-height up the house in the stack of closets off the main staircase was found, still in position, with some of the original boxing also in situ. This will now be preserved. As the walls were stripped of their later layers a Pompeiian red decorative scheme was revealed on the ground floor and a green on the first floor - complete with a vignette of a 1950s 'new look' woman on the West wall. We know that Soane left the decorations to his first tenants to carry out so it is particularly interesting to see that the 'Pompeiian' scheme next door in his Library at No. 13 may have inspired them. More will be revealed about the history of the decoration in No. 14 when Dr. Ian Bristow, our historic paint specialist, completes his programme of research later this year.

First Floor intrusive wall has been removed, and paint stripped carefully to reveal a green decorative scheme.

Shutters are being carefully removed, restored and refitted into their original hidden wall recesses.

1950's drawing of a woman on the west wall is revealed as layers are taken away.

Steel beams have been inserted into the floor to strengthen the upper parts of the house.

Likewise, steel members
have been used in the walls.

Mike Nicholson, Director of Development for the Museum, stands before a wall area being removed.

Alongside the stripping out Fullers have been overhauling and repairing all the sash windows in the house - carefully cutting out rotten areas in frames, parting beads and glazing bars and piecing in new hardwood.

The extensive work required to the main roof began in May and has continued throughout the summer. When we bought the house the roof was felted - its original lead having been removed many years ago. The felt has now been stripped off, the substructure repaired, the roof re-boarded (re-using as many of the original boards as possible) and the whole area leaded, as it was in Soane's day. The slates have been removed from the mansards and the battens and dormers repaired. As much woodwork as possible has been saved and reinstated - including most of the boarding to the cheeks of the windows - and almost all the slates have been re-used.

On the roof of No. 14 is Museum Director Tim Knox, Foundation Executive Director Chas Miller and Architect Lyall Thow of Julian Harrap Associates.

The shape of the original stair well
skylight is seen, awaiting the
return of the glass structure.

Detail of the new roof seams.

Terra cotta chimney pipes of No. 14 under wrap of the scaffolding overhead.

Alongside all these repairs the work of re-servicing the building has been carried out and the mechanical and electrical installations are well on the way to completion.

We are delighted to report that at present the works are on time and within budget at what is almost the half-way point of the 56 week contract.

OCTOBER 2006 UPDATE
The new staircase skylight is above the main staircase of No. 14 and is a new piece of metalwork. The previous skylight was a modern one and not very authentic. The new skylight is based on the precendent of the large Soane skylights above the staircases of Nos. 12 and 13.

The Robert Adam Study Centre
» more details on the plans...

MANY OPPORTUNITIES EXIST TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT PROJECT:

We welcome the chance to discuss your interests. There are many options to explore as each and every space in No. 14 along with revitalized and restored spaces of No. 12 and No. 13 require special fittings, cabinetry and furnishings.

Further, in return for your philanthropy the Museum can offer:

$10,000
The names of all individuals who make gifts of $10,000 or more will be permanently recorded within No.14.

$50,000
Benefactors who make Gifts of $50,000 or more will be permanently recorded in No.14 and will be awarded Life Membership of the Soane Patrons Circle with their name and gift perpetually recorded in all museum publications, exhibition catalogues and annual reports, in addition to the other benefits of being a Patron.

$200,000
In addition to the benefits listed above, benefactors who make gifts at this level will be offered a naming opportunity that will recognise and record for ever their support of the Soane Museum.

Donation and Contact Details

501(c)(3) gifts can be made to Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation and are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by US law.

Checks should be made payable to SIR JOHN SOANE'S MUSEUM FOUNDATION and sent care of:

Chas Miller, Executive Director
Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation
1040 First Avenue, No.311
New York, NY 10022

Tel: +1 212 223 2012
E-mail: chas@soanefoundation.com | www.SoaneFoundation.com

or for further information about the plans to restore No.14, or Sir John Soane's Museum, please contact:

Mike Nicholson, Development Director
Sir John Soane's Museum
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3BP United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)207 440 4241 | Fax +44 (0) 207 831 3957
E-mail: mnicholson@soane.org.uk | www.Soane.org