The British Museum World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre

The interior of the new centre
The interior of the new centre Paul Raftery

Heritage Grants

Date awarded
Location
Bloomsbury
Local Authority
Camden
Applicant
The British Museum
Award Given
£10000000
The World Conservation and Exhibitions Centre (WCEC) at the British Museum was launched in 2014 to help the museum care for the most fragile parts of its collections.

The centre has enabled the British Museum to build on current successes, to store, conserve, study and display the collection for the future. It provides state-of-the-art laboratories and studios, world-class stores for the collection, as well as facilities to support an extensive UK and international loan programme.

The redevelopment project was one of the largest in the museum’s 260-year history and took almost four years to complete. The centre cemented the British Museum’s reputation as a world leader in exhibition, conservation, examination and analysis of cultural objects from across the globe.

Carole Souter, former Chief Executive of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We’re delighted that the building has been so well-received, adding a world-class facility to the British Museum estate.”

The innovative design of the new building was shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2017.

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