Europe’s leading shower designer and manufacturer, Roman, were delighted to support the reopening of the most iconic fine art building, the Bowes Museum. During this unprecedented time, Roman assisted with the provision of 10mm bespoke glass shields to create a safe and socially distanced environment for staff and visitors.
The magnificent building houses the famous Silver Swan, one of the best-known exhibits in any Northern museum and stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle, overlooking the beautiful Teesdale countryside.
It is the home of an internationally renowned art collection which reopened its doors on Saturday 1st August 2020. The Bowes Museum was originally built in the 1860s by the Bowes-Lyon family which was the Queen Mother’s family – the building was designed as a French chateau and purpose-built as a museum.
Roman designed, manufactured and installed a total of 10 bespoke units based on different specification requirements for various areas in the museum including the café, shop, offices and reception area.
Roman’s in-house design team presented a range of bespoke drawings on a hotel specification level – all 10mm glass with chromed brass fittings. The café counter and reception desks required cut-out windows to safely assist visitors. The round shape of the reception desk meant a standard straight shield was unsuitable so Roman incorporated glass-to-glass brackets in the design to achieve a clean curved finish.
Leigh Shaw, Assistant to the Director of The Bowes Museum, said: “We have been really impressed by the professionalism of Roman Showers and highly recommend them. Their advice and guidance has helped us swiftly put in place the correct screening around areas that need it in light of COVID-19, including our reception desk, tills in the shop and Café Bowes. Their products are of a high quality and were installed by a friendly and knowledgeable team.”
David Osborne, Managing Director of Roman Showers, commented: “The Bowes Museum is a national treasure. We are delighted to have been able to assist the reopening of one of the UK’s art world gems.”
Photo: Roman Reception Shield featuring the famous Silver Swan, an 18th century Wonder of the World
