In 1995 an extensive refurbishment of all the buildings commenced. The projected cost of restoring such a derelict property using standard Building Contractors was seriously prohibitive. Given the limited funding available, Edwina Orr chose instead to manage the refurbishment herself. From the outset, Orr liaised closely with English Heritage (EH) and the Hackney Listed Building and Conservation officers, specialist surveyors and engineers, overseeing the project with a keen eye for careful restoration. She appointed Greg Whenman as foreman and she coordinated and managed a team of skilled sub-contractors, including specialist stonemasons, leaded-light specialists and many more, all working in accordance with recommended conservation methods.
The scope of the work was extensive and included (this is not an exhaustive list):
- extensive scaffolding both inside and out of the large building
- restoration of all Portland stone nearly all the stone had been covered with thick white paint and was flaking off
- restoration of stone arches
- entire complete renewal of the internal plasterwork
- new specially crafted leaded windows throughout and restoration of stained-glass windows
- new coping stones on all the roofs
- entire removal of old roofs, corrugated metal roof coverings and old rotten roof void plaster, replaced with new roof void insulation and Welsh grey slate roofs on all four roofs (except for the south side nave roof)
- removal of all old rotten wood, wooden floors and broken tiles laid on ground contaminated with wet and dry rot, requiring diggers to excavate down to over two and in some cases three meters beneath the surface of the earth to remove all old, contaminated material, replaced with new and chemically treated backfill, new damp proofing and floor insulation and finally all floors replaced with new concrete and concrete paviours throughout
- repairs to all stone window surrounds using real and reconstituted stone,
- the creation of a new entrance was cut through the east end of the north aisle
- construction of a car park and garden to the east, with direct vehicular ad pedestrian via driveway access from Hackney Road. A new car park to the East was built with new entrance from Hackney Road.
All refurbishment works were completed by the end of 1997, with the gallery opening to the public in 1998. Despite the constrained budget, the works were completed to a very high standard. English Heritage recognised the project as an exemplary restoration, highlighting the building’s adaptation into an art gallery as a positive and sustainable reuse of such a large building. The London Borough of Hackney planning and listed building officers also applauded and welcomed the development, viewing the creation of a gallery as an opportunity to generate employment, attract new technology-driven activity and support the area’s burgeoning artistic community, all of which was achieved.