THE ARTS : Memorial Draped in Financial Woes

Ever since the Albert Memorial was completed in Kensington Gardens in 1875, it has been praised by traditionalists as an outstanding example of Victorian architecture and derided by modernists as a monstrosity.

But for the past two years, visitors here have been unable to judge for themselves, because Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s adored consort, lies hidden to the public eye: To the unhappiness of such diverse groups as the Victorian Society and the Evening Standard newspaper, his memorial--while awaiting restoration--is covered by a huge scaffold, lined with plastic panels in red, white and blue.

The scaffolding itself, unattached to the memorial, is the tallest such free-standing structure in the world at 165 feet, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

But the scaffolding’s plastic covering also hides the gingerbread monument, with its 175-foot-high, cross-topped spire that serves as a canopy over the 14-foot bronze statue of Albert. After he died in 1861 at age 42 of typhoid fever, his memorial was financed chiefly by public subscription.

The prince, on his memorial, is surrounded by allegorical statues of four continents and a frieze of 169 named architects, artists, composers and poets. The monument is also adorned with mosaics, ranks of angels and life-size figures representing industry and commerce. The entire complex sits on a flight of granite steps.

But all this neo-Gothic panoply is now unseen. As Chris Brooks, chairman of the Victorian Society, puts it, “We must deliver Albert from limbo.”

There are modern architects who have recently been arguing, only half in jest, that the protective covering is more attractive than the memorial itself.

But the reason the scaffolding remains in place is not aesthetic but financial.

The government, which originally agreed to ante up 10 million pounds (more than $15 million) to restore the monument--which has been ravaged by time, water seepage, pollution and rust from iron supporting beams--says it can’t afford to continue the project.

Further, says the National Heritage department, with the protective scaffolding in place, there is no “urgency” to complete the repairs until funds are available, presumably after the current recession.

But Brooks counters that it is costing the government 250,000 pounds (close to $400,000) a year just to maintain the scaffolding--without any progress going on underneath.

In a recent campaign to unveil the memorial to the public, the Evening Standard claimed that the monument could be restored to ordinary viewing for a fraction of the earlier estimated cost. This first would expose Albert’s statue and the lower friezes while the upper canopy was being repaired. Peripheral statues could be removed for cleaning.

The newspaper would then encourage audiences at summer promenade concerts at nearby Albert Hall to visit the memorial and make donations for immediate restoration. In a year’s time, says the Standard, its plan would put the Albert Memorial back in full view for less than 1 million pounds, or about $1.55 million.

“We think a way should be found to make the monument more visible so the public can see what is being saved,” said Richard Holder, an architectural adviser to the Victorian Society.