Heritage Grants
Date awarded
Location
City Centre
Applicant
National Museums of Scotland
Award Given
£17762000
This project helped revitalise the Royal Museum, transforming the public use of the building, while remaining sensitive to its original Victorian architecture.
Two new street-level entranceways were created, and a major circulation route was re-established through the Great Hall to the rear of the building, greatly improving movement around the museum. Sixteen of the 28 galleries were redeveloped, allowing the exhibition of twice as many artefacts as were previously displayed.
The project created 7000m2 of new display space, a 25% increase in special exhibition space, and a 20% increase in public space. The museum’s learning offer was significantly improved through the development of a dedicated education centre and informal learning spaces.
The revitalisation also created a more cohesive connection to the iconic, modern Museum of Scotland, to which it is physically linked.