Sunderland Museum upgrades set to be approved
Purcell is leading on the latest project for the museum and winter gardens, which will include a new visitor entrance, alterations to the 1960s roof, and public realm improvements.
Sunderland Council looks likely to approve the upgrades at its meeting next week, with a report saying the improvements will ‘outweigh any less than substantial harm to the grade two-listed Mowbray Park and Museum.’
Sunderland City Council was awarded a development grant of £299,425 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in 2022 to develop the plans and these alterations follow the appointment of design company Mather & Co last year, who was tasked with delivering the next chapter for the museum.
The museum and winter gardens has not had significant investment into its development for more than 20 years, with funding secured to enable it to maintain current visitor numbers and become commercially independent in the longer term.
Work to the ground floor will include relocating the visitor entrance to the south of the building, and fixing M&E issues throughout.
The current entrance and shop will be repurposed into a learning hub named the ‘Growing Space’, and new gallery spaces will also be created.
The museum is located in the Sunniside Conservation Area in Mowbray Park, and was completed in 1879 with a large glass conservatory modelled on the Crystal Palace.
Following damage after the Second World War, the conservatory part was demolished and an extension was built in 1964. The present conservatory was installed in 2001.
