Memorial: Henry Cole at V&A
Henry Cole Wing V&A
April 2018: Freshly regilded and looking splendid – but with a new metal walkway cutting across it. The designers’ website even includes a photo showing the botch. Didn’t they notice, or do they just not care?
And another problem: this inscription must be original to the building (1856-84), but we are puzzled why it is off-centre, and the discolouration of the stonework is suspicious. Is it possible that the renovation involved widening this pier by about a foot? Seems very odd but that's the only explanation we can think of.
Site: War damage at V&A & Sackler Courtyard (2 memorials)
SW7, Exhibition Road, Victoria & Albert Museum
On this section of the V&A's Exhibition Road frontage a stone screen wall was erected by Aston Webb in 1909 to mask the original boiler house yard beyond. Starting in about 1991 there were various attempts to develop the disused boiler house site to provide more exhibition space and a courtyard with an entrance through this screen.
The work was finally done and opened to the public in 2017. A stone on the east side of the courtyard reads "Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge opened this Exhibition Road Gallery courtyard and entrance hall, 29 June 2017." And a shiny steel plaque on the south side reads "The Sackler Courtyard - Constructed in 2017 with a gift from: The Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation, Ilene Sackler Lefcourt, Kathe A. Sacker MD, Samantha Sackler Hunt, Mortimer D. A. Sackler, Marissa T. Sackler, Sophia Sackler Dalrymple, Michael D. Sacker." We learnt at the Standard that those are the 7 children of Mortimer and Theresa, and also that the source of their wealth seems to be tied up with America’s opioid crisis. 2019: Diamond Geezer pointed out how extensive has been the Sackler penetration of London's cultural scene.
The text about the war damage is on the pier to the right of the arched entrance to the courtyard. The "Henry Cole Wing" is on the north side of the courtyard.
