The Bottle House

This building has sat empty & without any functional purpose since its most famous inhabitant, the artist Robert Lenkiewicz, passed away. The building’s original function was as a bottling plant & storage facility for the adjacent Plymouth Gin factory.

The strong presence of the stone elevation facing Southside Street sits in stark contrast to its plain rear flank elevation which is home to one of Robert Lenkiewicz’s most famous murals which covers the whole rear elevation and for many years provided a vibrant backdrop to the Barbican street scene. Weather has taken its toll on the mural over the years and now it is barely recognisable. Much of what’s left to be seen between the wooden battens installed in an effort to protect the work is faded & it’s peeling flakes of paint are irreparable.

Nevertheless the importance of the mural has been recognised by its independent listing. Bringing this building back to having some functional role is made more complicated by its restricted access and daylighting constraints.

On this project we have worked closely with conservation specialists and in liaison with the Lenkiewicz foundation, we have developed plans to bring the ground floor indoor market space back into an exciting open public retail space.

Lenkiewicz’s studio had once occupied the first floor and evidence of Robert’s work remains; from paint marks on the floor to some less than sensitively conceived internal alterations to the storing of the body of “Diogenese”, a local tramp Robert had once befriended.