National Collections Centre
Client: National Museum for Science and Industry
Role: Project Management
A Governmental review of the inventory of the Nation’s major museums had identified that minimally 70% of inventory was not available for viewing by the public. The “Creative Planet” programme was therefore conceived to do two things:
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Prepare a development master plan for a 545 acre site near Swindon in Wiltshire within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and adjoining a Site of Special Scientific Interest that would provided a “best practice case study” on sustainable development
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Provide a “new-build low-carbon” National Centre to exhibit the collections held by The Science Museum; Victoria and Albert Museum and the National Maritime Museum whereby 80% of inventory would be available for public viewing “on demand”.
The assignment comprised the following key pieces of work:
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Establish a programme management and site master plan
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Support NMSI Directors and staff in the establishment of the project team and the preparation of the master plan
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Support the project team in undertaking public consultations
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Support NMSI in the submission of a ‘Big Lottery’ funding bid
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Establish and deliver a project plan to convert the former “Engineering Building” on site into a “Collections Access Facility” comprising conservations workshops and exhibition and teaching space as an educational visitor centre
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Prepare and submit a Heritage Lottery Fund bid to support the Collections Access Facility
Delivery requires investment in excess of £60m. The ‘Big Lottery’ bid was unsuccessful despite the Secretary of State’s enthusiastic support.