Contractor sought for Newcastle’s Discovery Museum
The grade two-listed Blandford House has a £4.25m budget for vital roof repairs and external masonry issues.
North East Museums, the organisation that manages the museum, received a £3m grant in March last year from the Museum Estate and Development Fund and Newcastle City Council has funded the rest.
Following an open tender launched by the council last year, Howarth Litchfield was appointed as lead designer with a remit to undertake costs management services and oversee the architectural design aspects.
The Durham-based firm has now instructed Adelphi Structural Engineers and cost consultant Todd Milburn, with a contractor sought as the next step.
Restoration of the building, which dates from 1899, is scheduled to complete in August next year.
Commenting on the firm’s first direct appointment by Newcastle City Council, Howarth Litchfield director and conservation architect, Neil Turner, said: “Working on a roof six storeys in the air with an atrium on one side poses various challenges, so an engineered scaffold design will be required and this formed part of the tender package.
“Important archives will also need to be protected during window restoration works.
“The museum will be operational during the works and the scaffold design will determine how long the Great Hall will be out of action.”
Keith Merrin, director of North East Museums, said: “We are very grateful for the funding we have received from the MEND programme, which is administered by Arts Council England, towards this crucial maintenance work at Discovery Museum.
“It will be used to repair the roof over the magnificent Great Hall, which is used for events, some of which provide vital funding for the running of the museum.
“It will also ensure that the collections housed in the museum stay protected from potential water damage to be preserved for the future.
“The museum welcomes over 200,000 visitors each year, so it is essential we can continue to provide a great experience for them.”
