Purcell

24/04/2026

What does it mean to repair an artwork after fire?

See the previously fire damaged fibreglass doors at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral reinstalled after careful repair and conservation.

Designed by sculptor William Mitchell, the doors are not simply functional components of the cathedral, but artworks, formed in experimental fibreglass as part of the cathedral’s bold modernist vision.

Their repair therefore posed an essential challenge: how should conservation respond when the material is damaged, but the artistic meaning is harder to reconstruct?

Read more at the link in our bio.

20/06/2025

23/10/2024

Our Sydney studio was engaged by NSW Public Works as Heritage Architect on several façade conservation projects across the city.

The projects were completed under the Minister’s Stonework Program, a Government initiative tasked with the maintenance and conservation to state owned heritage buildings.

Read more on our website:

Facade conservation across Sydney, Australia, with NSW Public Works and Ministers Stonework Program

01/10/2024

Earlier this year, our Australian team completed an impressive facade restoration for NSW Parliament, which includes one of Australia’s oldest public buildings.

The historic facade underwent a meticulous restoration to address critical maintenance work and a review of the building's colour scheme. Following extensive research and paint sampling, we crafted a palette which gives a subtle nod to the building’s links to the nearby Mint Building and the broader context of the civic precinct.

The NSW Parliament facade restoration was recently shortlisted for the 2024 National Trust Heritage Awards - you can read more about it on our website: https://www.purcellap.com/projects/nsw-parliament-facades/

As Conservation Architect, Purcell led the restoration of NSW Parliament House's facades, including critical maintenance work.

27/09/2024

26/09/2024

At Purcell, we work across a wide range of building types and ages to help our independent school clients respond to the changing needs and expectations of their students.

You can find us sensitively extending listed buildings and facilities, like at Radley and Harrow; repairing and restoring historic school buildings, as we did at Stowe; and adapting existing facilities to meet modern standards or providing brand new facilities to help keep our clients at the forefront of the independent schools market, like at Stamford Endowed Schools.

Find out more about our education sector projects: https://www.purcelluk.com/projects/?filter=sector.higher-education,sector.education

31/07/2024

We are absolutely delighted to share that the transformation of the National Portrait Gallery - a collaboration between ourselves and Jamie Fobert Architects - has been shortlisted for the revered Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize!

Judges praised our 'seamless blend of contemporary design and conservation of historical elements' and 'crucial accessibility alterations'.

A huge achievement for all involved - fingers crossed for the prize ceremony in October!

26/07/2024

Important news from Historic England as they release their latest Advice Note on adapting historic buildings for energy and carbon efficiency.

Having been consulted on the draft edition of the advice note, we're happy to see this significant step forward in outlining what an acceptable level of change in response to climate change looks like.

We're also especially pleased to see one of our projects, the Grade I-listed Ledston Hall, highlighted as a case study in the HEAN!

24/07/2024

Brick by brick... 🧱

These striking red chimneys at Oxburgh Hall were carefully rebuilt using new handmade red brickwork and sculpted in-situ to replicate the highly decorative masonry as part of the 'Raise the Roof' restoration project at the National Trust property.

A total of 14,000 roof tiles, 14 dormer windows, and 27 distinctive chimneys were repaired during the project, with highly-skilled local craftspeople engaged to best inform the restoration of the 15th century manor.

The project is a National Finalist in the Heritage category at this year's RICS Awards!

08/07/2024

We are excited to announce that our proposals for the refurbishment project of the History of Science Museum on Broad Street will be on display at a public consultation exhibition from Monday 8th to Sunday 21st July 2024.

Hosted by The University of Oxford, this will be an opportunity to find out more about the proposals to transform the world’s first purpose-built public museum building to safeguard its future – and to share ideas and suggestions to improve them.

Information on the project, including a 3D model and a bird’s eye tour through an artist’s impression of the transformed Museum, will be on display in Blackwell Hall in the Library on Broad Street.

Please join us! Further information is available at

Staff, students and members of the public are warmly invited to a series of consultation events on the proposed refurbishment of the History of Science Museum on Broad Street.