Having initially commissioned Stowe to construct a new toilet block, the Food Museum in Stowmarket followed-up by asking us to build and install a 15m footbridge in green oak and to refurbish parts of the stable block.
Working to a concept by Jon Pattle and design by Modece Architects our joiners first built the bridge back at our yard in Marlesford before we transported it to the fishing lake at the museum for installation. The arched design of the bridge meant that it was easier to first build it upside down so we only got to see it the right way up when it was set in the concrete piers we had prepared at site. The footbridge now gives public access to the island and fishing lodge previously unavailable to museum visitors.
As one of the first things people see as they enter the museum, the 18th century stable block is an important part of the visitor experience. Back at our joinery workshop our talented craftsmen created replica arched vents to replace rotten parts of the architecturally distinctive cupolas. On-site, we refurbished window and door frames and brickwork, and replaced guttering, drainage and some areas of the roof.
Architects: Modece
Structural Engineers: J.P Chick & Partners
