The Crystal Palace Subway has been shortlisted for ‘Restoration or conservation project of the year’ at the national Museums + Heritage Awards, following the major restoration completed last year.
Recognition at the prestigious awards, described as 'the Oscars of the museum world', is a further accolade for the newly restored subway, with the subway shortlisted in the category highlighting the quality of work undertaken on restoration, repair and conservation projects.
The careful and sympathetic restoration was led by Bromley Council and driven by significant local support spearheaded by the Friends of Crystal Palace Subway. The structure has now been brought back into public use as a unique, historic building, one of the few remaining structures from the Victorian Crystal Palace complex. The subway, now run by Crystal Palace Park Trust, has been visited by around 6,000 people in the first three months since reopening, hosting events from a craft market and pop-up cinema screenings to stand-up comedy and a silent disco.
Councillor Yvonne Bear, Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing, said: “This welcome news shows once again the quality of the restoration that has been completed on the much-loved subway, which means that the incredible structure is once again available for residents and visitors to enjoy. As we keep our fingers crossed for the final, we are also pressing ahead with the wider regeneration of this historic park, to ensure that all its magnificent heritage is protected for the future, along with the thriving green spaces throughout the park.”
The subway’s restoration was guided by expert advice provided by Historic England with Bromley Council appointing architects Thomas Ford & Partners and conservation specialists DBR Limited to transform the space. The £3.5m project was funded through a number of sources, including from the City of London Strategic Investment Pot, more than £1m from Historic England, and generous donations from numerous individuals.
News of the shortlisting follows the subway winning a National Railway Heritage Award late last year, showing further recognition of the restoration work. Techniques used in the restoration project included 3D digital technology combined with historical document research and onsite surveying to unearth obscured or lost heritage features. Highlights of the restored building include a new glass roof, reconstructed staircases and the reuse and sourcing of heritage materials to maintain the character of the building.
The winner of the Museums + Heritage award will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday 15 May. Previous winners in the subway’s category include the Old Royal Naval College’s Painted Hall and Royal Parks Brompton Cemetery, with the award delivered in partnership with Icon, the Institute of Conservation.
The subway restoration is the first phase of the major regeneration of the park, being co-delivered by Bromley Council in partnership with Crystal Palace Park Trust, with the next major stage of the works to include the restoration of the Crystal Palace dinosaurs and Italian terraces.
The next opportunities to see the subway are:
- Thursday 20 March, 11am to 2pm - free, book ahead.
- Saturday 22 March, 10.30am to 1pm, for National Lottery Open Week - free, book ahead, Lottery ticket holders only.
- Saturday 22 March, 1pm to 3pm - free, book ahead.
- Sunday 27 April, 11am to 2pm - free, book ahead.
See crystalpalaceparktrust.org for more information and booking details.
Ends
For media enquiries please contact:
James George in Public Affairs, Bromley Council on 020 8313 4565 or email james.george@bromley.gov.uk.
And
Crystal Palace Park Trust: press@crystalpalaceparktrust.org
Editors’ notes
About Crystal Palace Park Trust
Crystal Palace Park Trust is the community-led charity running the park under a 125-year lease from the London Borough of Bromley. The Trust’s vision is for Crystal Palace Park - a 200-acre, Grade II* listed historic landscape with many unique buildings and attractions - to be an outstanding park for London, offering a high-quality visitor experience, while also re-telling and sharing its history and story for the nation. Our mission is to protect, manage and improve Crystal Palace Park as a green, open, historic, ecological, recreational, sporting, cultural and educational resource in the interests of the community and other park users. Follow @crystalpalaceparktrust on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
The ambitious regeneration of the park is being co-delivered by Bromley Council and the Crystal Palace Park Trust.