Examination of Witnesses (Questions 7860
- 7879)
7860. MR SCOTT: As I understand it, my
Lord, it was damage to the glass and not to the structure, not
to the walls.
(Mr Garnier) The glass of the Chapel,
I think Mr Scott means.
7861. On the question of differential settlement
within the house, first, the house being a corner house—and
it might be useful here to have another illustration of the exterior
of the house—so lacks at its outer north west corner the
bracing that can be provided by neighbouring structures.[17]
Second, the house is skewed in relation to the westbound tunnel
projected to pass diagonally under the house's north east corner.
The tunnel will be going roughly in the direction from the view
of that photograph through the red pillar box and then through
the house, in other words through the pillar box and slightly
to the right of it, I think. This is likely to cause any subsidence
through the structure to be skewed, which coupled with the "bending"
just referred to and the fact of a corner site, may indicate a
propensity to twisting of the structure, so for any degree of
movement exacerbating the effect on the heavily modelled ceilings
in the house. This must be coupled with the opinion in the Stage
3 Iteration 1 report that there are likely to be "discontinuities"
in the strip foundations of the building "at door openings
and possible wall junctions" (page 1198), which may further
induce a propensity for differential settlement or twisting of
the structure. The cantilevered stone staircase will also be vulnerable,
and I believe a following witness may wish to add more on that.
7862. I now move to unique hand modelled figurative
subject matter of the plaster work. Here we are not just considering
standard running mouldings such as repeated standardised ornamental
cornicing such as found in the great majority of listed buildings
along the Crossrail route and which may be replaceable in pre-case
fibrous plaster. We are here considering plasterwork combining
figurative central panels modelled, for example, with putti (cherubs)
surrounded by a riot of scrollwork, strapwork and flowers, all
freely hand-modelled and as such very difficult to recreate once
lost, if not properly recorded beforehand.
7863. I have a photo montage to show of the
ceiling.[18]
There in that illustration is the central modelled figurative
panel surrounded by the scrollwork. This is not standard, repeated
motifs: it is individually modelled elements of decoration across
the whole ceiling.
7864. LORD JAMES OF BLACKHEATH: When
does that date from?
(Mr Garnier)
1755-57.
7865. LORD YOUNG OF NORWOOD GREEN: You
say "if not properly recorded beforehand", but these
have been recorded, clearly?
(Mr Garnier)
They have been recorded as far as photographs like that are concerned,
but that is not adequate to restore the ceiling if catastrophe
were to happen and it crashed to the floor.
7866. So how do you properly record, then, if
you do not mind me asking?
(Mr Garnier) Could I possibly return to
that later, my Lord, because I have comments on that which might
come out better then rather than now?
7867. Yes.
(Mr Garnier) So if lost it is very difficult
to properly replace it if not properly recorded beforehand, and
it would be analogous trying to repaint an old master from memory.
7868. Overall, taking the exceptional nature
of the plasterwork decoration, its weight and potential brittleness
within a frame that had already settled before it was applied,
the current assessment of the likely effects of any movement of
the structure cannot be considered adequate. Catastrophic failure
cannot at present be ruled out as possible in parts and so the
building must be treated as a special case.
7869. My Lord Chairman, I would like quickly
if I may to refer to the two trustees of the charity because the
next point may have been covered, the question of the precedence
of St Dunstan's, Stepney—by our discussions this morning
and therefore we might be able to skip that part of my evidence.
7870. CHAIRMAN: I do not think it has
been covered in front of us.
(Mr Garnier) I will proceed then, thank
you, to the exceptional, special case within the schedule of listed
structures along the Crossrail route that this House of St Barnabas
represents. The precedent of St Dunstan's Stepney was described
by its Rector before the House of Commons Select Committee as
a "unique and really quite delicate historic building"
with a "very real ... danger of lasting damage to one of
the only medieval buildings surviving in East London", to
which the Promoters' Counsel made the point that "ultimately
in the case of a building of such importance and sensitivity as
that which you have before you today, the position which we adopt
is that the building must be assessed and provided for what it
is and it is the building and its particular needs that, as far
as we are concerned, must drive what is appropriate in terms of
assessment, monitoring, protective provision and any further measures
that are required. In that important sense we are at one with
the Petitioner as to approach", and indeed an agreement was
reached by which the church was to be treated as a special case.
7871. In coming to the consensus on that building
particular stress was laid on Information Paper D12 and the importance
of section 7.6. "When considering the need and type of protective
measures, due regard will be given to the sensitivity of the particular
features of the building which are of architectural or historic
interest and the sensitivity of the structure of the building
to ground movement. Where the assessment highlights potential
damage to the features of the building which it will be difficult
or impossible to repair, and/or if that damage will have a significant
effect on its heritage value, the assessment may recommend appropriate
measures to safeguard those features either in situ or by temporary
removal and storage off-site if those with relevant interests
in the building consent."
7872. The immediate impact of the church being
treated as a special case was that, despite the presence of the
word "may" in the quoted passage, it was confirmed that
further detailed assessment work was envisaged as necessary and
that "the Petitioner would wish to participate in that process
and will wish to have access to his only independent expert advice
in order to audit, to test and to assist in the identification
of appropriate measures as they may arise" --
7873. CHAIRMAN: Did he mean "only"
or "own"?
7874. MR MOULD: It is me saying it, and
it should be "own", yes.
(Mr Garnier)—and that the Promoters
would pay for that and who also envisaged "that, in the event
that there is any need for works to be carried out to the fabric
of the church"—they, the Promoters—"would
pay for that."
7875. From my assessment of the House of St
Barnabas in this submission as far as it goes, it will be appreciated
that the house is one of such importance and sensitivity to damage
with features that are of architectural or historic interest which
it will be difficult or impossible to repair and if damaged will
have a significant effect on its heritage value. It will then
be seen that not just monitoring procedures need to be in place,
as was proposed by the Promoters and their advisors in the Phase
3 Iteration 1 assessment. An extensive programme of precautionary
and preventative measures is also required.
7876. Such measures should include: first, proper
recording of the present fabric, including "rectified photography"
and the preparation of a physical record where necessary (via
cast moulds being taken) in case of absolute loss because of,
for example, substantial failure of the plasterwork ceilings.
Indeed it was only through advance precautionary recording of
such detailing at Windsor Castle that much of the restoration
effected after the fire was at all possible.
7877. As far as rectified photography is concerned,
that is a technical form of photography in which you photograph
the ceiling in small areas, not using the full area of the lens
and therefore you avoid parallax error and also fisheye lens syndrome.
So by that method you can then build up a patchwork of photographs
to have a completely rectified photograph of the ceilings and
any other plasterwork in the house with all the lines being true
to each other and not being distorted through being seen through
a lens.
7878. The question of taking casts from plasterwork,
of course you cannot just take casts from the plasterwork as they
are now because they are likely to be covered in paintwork, which
may well be quite thick, and in the hollows have accumulated to
quite a depth. So it is a question that one has to, I am afraid,
clean back to the original surface of plaster before you can start
taking a cast.
7879. The second preventative and precautionary
category is that there should be surveying by appropriate specialists,
such as plasterwork specialists, to identify potential weak points
in the plasterwork and fittings of the house.
17 Committee Ref: A40, View of the exterior of the
House from Soho Square (SCN-20080403-009) Back
18
Committee Ref: A40, Photo montage of the ceiling in the Council
Room (SCN-20080403-009) Back
| 
