Bath Abbey is looking to 21st century innovation to develop new and compelling ways of sharing its 1,200-year history with visitors.
The Abbey has appointed a design company and a strategic planning consultancy to work alongside its interpretation officer on the initiative as part of its long-term Footprint project.
The £19.3m project aims to carry out essential repairs to the Abbey’s collapsing floor, install an eco-friendly heating system using Bath’s unique hot springs as a source of energy and enlarge its capacity by creating 200 sq m of new space.
But running alongside this will be a programme to record and interpret the Abbey’s history for its millions of visitors as well as for educational visits. Architects and visitor flow experts will also be appointed to work on the project.
It has taken on Cornish agency ABG Design to design the new interpretation and displays, while Oxford-based Julia Holberry Associates will consult Bath residents and visitors to understand how they engage with the Abbey. This research will help to extend and develop the plans for interpretation, learning and participation.
The work will be essential in helping the Abbey meet the Heritage Lottery Fund’s requirements during the Footprint project’s development phase.
While the Footprint project is essentially driven by the need to repair the Abbey’s collapsing floor, one of its key objectives is to provide a new interpretation centre to inspire and encourage visitors to explore the building and its rich history as well as to help them connect with the Abbey’s present-day activities.
Bath Abbey interpretation officer Oliver Taylor said: “Bath Abbey is a thriving church in the centre of Bath with lots of stories to tell, past and present whether it’s about the music, the building or the people.
“It means different things to different people and everyone connects with it in a different way. Both teams that we’ll be working with understand the wonderful opportunities, as well as challenges, that this diversity presents.
“Our aim, through Footprint, is that our new interpretation and activities programme will make the Abbey a more welcoming, exciting and inspiring place for people to visit and explore.”
Pictured, from left: Ben Gammon (ABG), Oliver Taylor (Bath Abbey), Julia Holberry (Julia Holberry Associates), Howard Miles (ABG) and Chris Hubert (ABG)
