Sir John Soane had ensured his legacy even before his death. The esteemed architect began to collate his books, antiquities and other items of interest in his London home, and in 1833 negotiated an Act of Parliament to preserve both the house and collection as a reference for future generations.
2016 marks the culmination of an ambitious seven-year restoration project for the museum, reinstating many parts of the original buildings. The newly opened spaces will include access to his elaborate private apartments in the Georgian townhouse, but it's the Regency-era kitchens, open to the public for the first time, that will be home to a new exhibition, Below Stairs.
For the exhibition, which is part of the London Design Festival, four leading contemporary artists – each chosen for their focus on domestic objects – have been invited to supply new or recent pieces to feature in the space. Design studio Barber & Osgerby, whose previous work includes furniture and other day-to-day objects, took inspiration from the original table in the kitchen and its important role as a focal point of the room. Meanwhile, the old culinary objects found in the museum inspired Jasper Morrison, whose specialisms include kitchenware.
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Others selected to contribute are furniture designer Martino Gamper, who has previously displayed his passion for food through running his own dining pop-ups, and Paul Cocksedge, whose renowned pieces include a lamp formed from polystyrene drinking cups.
"We believe that these contemporary works create a fascinating dialogue with the restored Regency kitchens and the museum as a whole," says Bruce Boucher, director of Sir John Soane's Museum. "They show that the Soane is not a static museum but a dynamic creation in itself, to which designers, artists and architects continue to respond."
Below Stairs will be at Sir John Soane's Museum, London, from 13 September 2016 to 4 March 2017; soane.org
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