National Museums Scotland has released new images of the Royal Museum building under construction, marking one year since its partial closure. The Victorian part of the National Museum of Scotland is a third of the way to completion of the eagerly anticipated £46m redevelopment.
The Royal Museum Project is running to schedule with completed works focusing on the excavation of the new arrivals hall at street level including: two new ground level entrances at either side of the familiar front steps of the building; the basement floor lowered by 1.4 metres and the removal of basement walls opening up a new space which will form the arrivals hall with visitor restaurant, shop, cloakroom and orientation to the new galleries. This area runs the length of the main hall which is situated directly above it.
The images released illustrate the excavation of the arrivals hall at street level following the packing and removal of two million objects from the cellar stores.
National Museums Scotland director Gordon Rintoul said,
“In this last year we have made significant progress in realising our vision for the Royal Museum building and we are thrilled to see this taking shape. We look forward to the next stages in this process, which will further our goal of welcoming visitors from home and abroad back to the completed National Museum of Scotland in 2011. The Royal Museum building will provoke thought, inspire learning and showcase incredible collections, raising the nation's cultural profile and reflecting our confidence in a modern Scotland.”
The Project will see the creation of 16 new galleries, including an entire new floor of public space at the heart of the transformation, located beneath the distinctive Grand Gallery. Teams of curatorial staff, conservators, taxidermists and exhibitions staff are working hard behind the scenes to create these new galleries.
Alastair Moore, Project Manager, Balfour Beatty Construction Scottish & Southern Limited commented,
“Impressive progress has been achieved 34 weeks into the 112 week program at the Royal Museum building, Edinburgh.
“Our works involve creating the new arrivals hall within the existing basement of the grade A listed building, this has required major excavation works by reducing the floor level by 1400 mm and removing 5500m3 of soil from the area. Another section of our works involves creating the two new public entrances in to the building from Chambers Street. Both these tasks are progressing very well.”
A new behind the scenes video of the Project progress is available online for visitors to view at http://www.nms.ac.uk
Over half of the National Museum of Scotland remains open, with the full building set to re-open in 2011. The project is jointly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund (£18 million), and the Scottish Government (£16 million), with a further £12 million from fundraising of which £8.5 million has been raised to date.
ENDS
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Porter Novelli
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