Art

Gallery

The Challenge

The project faced two substantial obstacles. The building had fallen into poor condition after years of vacancy, requiring sensitive restoration to preserve its historic character whilst adapting it for contemporary use. More significantly, local planning policy stipulated that the building must remain in office use—a requirement that initially appeared to block any alternative vision for the space.

The challenge was to demonstrate that changing the use of this 1920s building would deliver greater public benefit than maintaining its designation for commercial offices in a market that no longer required them.

The Design Approach

The design philosophy centred on careful conservation and adaptive reuse. Rather than imposing a new architectural language, the approach respected the building’s heritage through meticulous restoration of the existing natural stone walls and timber windows. Internal materials and features were retained wherever possible, preserving the building’s authentic character whilst creating flexible spaces suitable for contemporary creative use.

This restoration-led approach allowed the building’s original craftsmanship to shine whilst introducing the modern services and spatial configurations required for gallery exhibitions, workspace functionality, and residential comfort. The result is a building that feels both historic and contemporary—a fitting home for an organisation championing the evolving practice of drawing in the 21st century.

Overcoming Planning Constraints

Securing planning permission required building a compelling case that the proposed mixed-use would deliver substantial community benefit. The application demonstrated that demand for commercial office space in this location was negligible, whilst the cultural and economic contribution of Drawing Projects UK would be significant.

The planning case emphasised how the organisation would work collaboratively with existing and new audiences throughout Trowbridge and beyond. Public engagement and the building of an integrated creative community formed core objectives for the venture. The mix of gallery, workspace, residential, and café uses would facilitate community engagement with visual arts, drawing, and design through co-location with creative workspaces and curatorial projects.

The proposal demonstrated how it would contribute to Trowbridge’s development as a cultural and creative destination, increase affordable workspace for sole traders and small creative businesses, and provide an accessible venue close to the town centre within a designated redevelopment zone adjacent to the railway station. The wider region had been recognised as a ‘hotspot’ for creative industries by NESTA, and the contribution of artist-run initiatives to social, economic, and cultural development in urban centres was well documented.

Drawing Projects UK

Bridge House serves as the home of Drawing Projects UK, an organisation founded in 2009 by Professor Anita Taylor, Dean of Bath University School of Art and Design. The organisation champions research in drawing and fosters artistic innovation through initiatives including the prestigious Jerwood Drawing Prize, which supports artists at every stage of their careers and celebrates the continuing relevance of drawing in contemporary practice.

The Result

Bridge House stands as a testament to the transformative potential of adaptive reuse. The project honours the building’s nine-decade history whilst creating a dynamic environment that nurtures creativity and experimentation in the arts. By successfully navigating planning constraints and undertaking sensitive restoration, the conversion has given new life to a deteriorating historic building, transforming it into a cultural asset that serves artists, students, and the wider Trowbridge community.

The building now operates as a fully functional contemporary art gallery with supporting infrastructure for artists-in-residence, educational programmes, and creative businesses—all housed within the carefully restored fabric of a 1929 building that might otherwise have been lost.