The Building

Architecture and Introduction to Building

Opened in February 1905 after Sir William Henry Wills (1830–1911, later Lord Winterstoke) provided £10,000 to help buy the site and build a new City Art Gallery on it. Designed by Frederick Wills in an Edwardian Baroque style. No expense was spared e.g.3 kinds of marble used, classical statuary.

The building was extended in 1930 in an almost identical style. One of the few differences are the chandeliers which are in an art deco style in the rear hall but an art nouveau style in the front hall. The Museum and Art Gallery merged following bomb damage to both buildings in WWII, you can still see evidence of this on the pillars.