Jump to content
 

Aldersgate buildings 9 Booth's distillery Clerkenwell


Recommended Posts

Just to put myself under even more pressure, here's a post of Booths Distillery in Clerkenwell which is on the to so list for Aldersgate.

 

The research for this is from the British History online 

 

Now demolished, the distillery was at Cowcross Street and Turnmill Street and the manufacture of gin by the Booth family and its successors dates back to the early 18th century and this building dates from 1903.

 

post-6781-0-68929200-1449169783_thumb.jpg

 

I knocked this up in iDraw, mostly working on the train back and forth to London.  The program alows the user to import a background.  I "drew" the plans on top of an architectural print which is on the survey's website and then imported a scale scenes dressed stone which I may use in the final model.

 

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp385-406

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Some more progress on the windows.  

Outer frames printed on card and cut out with a scalpel  and the inner printed on sticky labels.  The label has been stuck on the glazing material and the area covering the panes cut lifted off.  

The muntins (thin wood holding individual panes of glass) are scratched into the glazing material and highlighted by rubbing in white paint.  

I have deliberately not buffed these up too much but have left this rough to give the impression of dusty unloved window panes.

 

post-6781-0-73737100-1463002511_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-90710900-1463002527_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-86168200-1463002539_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-13709300-1463002553_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-72526000-1463002565_thumb.jpg

 

Thanks for following!

 

Andrew

Link to post
Share on other sites

A couple of quick photos for insomniacs

 

post-6781-0-20090700-1463434785_thumb.jpg

 

And now the round windows, same layer method

 

post-6781-0-88607000-1463434807_thumb.jpg

 

Scratch in the muntings and rub in white paint

 

post-6781-0-84791900-1463434829_thumb.jpg

 

over and underlayers

 

post-6781-0-33354700-1463434860_thumb.jpg

 

In place but not fully positioned, but you get the idea.  I'll dab out the black lines with some dirty white before I glue them in position.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fabulous.  Is there any particular reason some of the first floor windows have arched lintels and some peaked?

 

That is an interesting question.

 

A standard part of the classical vocabulary is to alternate triangular and segmented pediments, but here they are not alternating.  They cannot do so symmetrically because there are an even number of bays, which is a solecism because bays (the vertical divisions here occupied by the windows) represent the spaces between the columns, which are often invisible, but which are notionally there.  One should never have a column (or, as here, the space for one) in the centre of the composition. 

 

This architect, I guess Edwardian and post the more playful and sometimes asymmetrical classicism of the "Sweetness & Light" or Queen Anne movement from the 1860s, has departed from the rules.  Where this seems to catch him out is in the apparent jumble of the two styles of pediments to the first floor windows.

 

But who cares, it's a great model of a very attractive façade.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fabulous.  Is there any particular reason some of the first floor windows have arched lintels and some peaked?

 

Yes that's a good question.  I don't know, it's not mentioned in any of the research that I've read.  I have used the original architectural drawings which are available online.  Interestingly (for me anyway) is that the final version of the building did not follow these plans.  In the final version of the lintels were alternately pointed and curved.  Similarly, the balustrades at the top of the building are in different places between the plans and the final build, as are details around the front windows.  I didn't notice any of this!

 

I am now starting on the back and although the building is supposedly a late 19th century construction, the plans that I have for the back looks like a miss mash of earlier buildings which just received a new facade as so often happened in georgian and victorian periods.  I will stick with this as although it makes the roofing and other areas a bit of an ad hoc jigsaw puzzle, the final result might have more charm!

 

A photo and the architectural prints are here for anyone interested

http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp182-202

Also on these pages are probably the next 10 buildings on my modelling roadmap!!

 

 

 

Andrew

Link to post
Share on other sites

Edwardian,

We seem to be on the thread in real time.  Hope like me you are sitting in the sun with coffee or similar.  If you look at the link I posted, you will see that the final version followed the classical schema.  The clashing style of the high windows is largely my fault

Link to post
Share on other sites

Edwardian,

We seem to be on the thread in real time.  Hope like me you are sitting in the sun with coffee or similar.  If you look at the link I posted, you will see that the final version followed the classical schema.  The clashing style of the high windows is largely my fault

 

Fascinating, Andrew.  I see that the architect's, in the event, solution was to double-up on the triangular pediments in the centre.   A great building and a great model you're making of it.

 

One of the things I like about that Farringdon area is the Venetian revival stuff, there's a drawing of one such façade on your link.  There are similar examples in Manchester.

 

PS: No such luck - finding it impossible to concentrate on the work I should be doing on a May day that is trying its best to look wintry by never getting properly light.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Did some work on the back windows today.  My usual rough and ready method hiding everything behind the scenes; how you guys who build windows sash by sash with room for interiors beats me!

post-6781-0-65225500-1464967788.jpg

top and bottom sashes under construction

post-6781-0-28920100-1464967799.jpg

casement windows

post-6781-0-09525700-1464967811.jpg

I think it's worth setting back the windows and sashes

post-6781-0-93521800-1464967833.jpg

regards

Andrew

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Couldn't resist a quick mock up.  Don't know how I am going to  resolve the roof at the rear where the Victorian upgrade merges with earlier structures.  Since it's been demolished, I can't go and look and there don't seem to be any photos of the back.  I'll use trial and error of course and fettle something.  Any ideas or photos of similarly complex roofs would be welcome.

 

post-6781-0-70590000-1466720494.jpg

 

post-6781-0-81666000-1466720507.jpg

 

As for weathering, I am always terrified at that point.  Perhaps I should post it over to Doug?

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Here's some ugly behind the scenes pictures showing how I am trying to resolve the many angles at the back of the building.  This is going to be rather a trial and error affair.  People can see hopefully that I am trying to suggest an even earlier structure incorporated into the whole.  This is evidenced by the mismatched brown brick and flint walls incorporated into the old grey bricks.

 

post-6781-0-77398600-1467541140_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-70678700-1467541161_thumb.jpgpost-6781-0-88400000-1467541175_thumb.jpg

 

The whole building is of course not square, it had grown on an originally medieval street plan.  The lines on the floor were drawn before the whole was assembled and are parallel to each of the end walls.  I wasn't sure before I put it together with which end the central wall was going to align and so I left myself guide lines for each.

 

Andrew

Link to post
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...