Architects were challenged to submit their proposals to transform the site of the former Wyvern Theatre multi-story and ground level car park into the home of a museum and art gallery housing the town’s nationally significant collection of British 20th Century modern art, which includes works by Lucian Freud, Henry Moore, LS Lowry and Graham Sutherland.
The new building will sit on the footprint of the now demolished multi-story car park overlooking a large plaza next to Princes Street.
The architects were also asked to create a landmark destination that would form the centrepiece of Swindon’s new cultural quarter, become a significant source of pride and wellbeing for residents and businesses, and attract visitors to Swindon from the wider region and beyond.
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Night time graphic of the museum[/caption]
The winning design, realised in a 3d model, was put on show at Swindon’s current Art Gallery and Museum on Bath Road.
As part of its fund-raising strategy the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery (SMAG) Trust will be applying to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in November for a grant of around £10 million towards the £22 million project.
Make Architects, whose founder Ken Shuttleworth lives in Wiltshire, were selected to develop the design concepts to submit to the HLF as part of the bid. Make’s proposal, designed with Arup, Steenson Varming and Alinea, presents a cutting edge venue that engages the community with a number of exciting facilities, including learning centres, event spaces, cafe and dining areas, a viewing gallery and a generous public realm.
Alongside these are four flexible independent gallery spaces which will showcase the museum’s outstanding British Art and studio ceramics collection, tell the story of Swindon, have an interactive science facility and also host visiting exhibitions.
The founder of Make Architects, Ken Shuttleworth, said: “Our team is extremely excited by the immense potential of the site. We believe the development of the space is a fantastic opportunity to create a beautiful cultural destination in the heart of Swindon that safeguards, enhances and celebrates the area’s collections, and creates new and engaging public realm that draws and excites visitors. We envisage a world-class building that will become an artefact in itself, an object that symbolises Swindon’s past, present and future.”
Director of SMAG, Hadrian Ellory van Dekker, explained that the design was chosen because it reflected the town’s cultural heritage, was sensitive to the demands of the site and fulfilled the requirements of housing and displaying the town’s collection.
“This was the design that really stood out for us. We didn’t want something safe, or just another glass cube, we wanted something at shows the architects have really thought carefully about the site and how best to show off our wonderful collection.”
Swindon Borough Council has already pledged £5 million towards the project.
Council leader Cllr David Renard said: “Delivering a genuinely world-class new museum and art gallery is one of the Council’s pledges and forms an integral part of its plans to breathe new life into the town centre.”
He added: “This is something that was started three and a half years ago and when the plan was first mentioned, people were thinking of it in terms of being just a new home for our art collection, but it’s going to be so much more than that. It will make such a huge contribution to the town.”
Cllr Garry Perkins, Cabinet Member for the Economy, Regeneration and Skills, said: “We know from other hugely ambitious cultural projects, such as the Turner Contemporary that has re-energised and regenerated Margate, that the economic benefits to the surrounding area are huge. This structure and all that goes in it will play a key part in securing the town’s future economic and cultural regeneration, and put us firmly on the map as a major destination for arts, heritage and science.”
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The winning design for Swindon’s proposed new Museum and Art Gallery[/caption]
Robert Hiscox, chair of SMAG Trust, said the board’s vision is to build the most admired civic museum in the country: “Swindon is a thriving town in beautiful countryside with easy access through rail and road for millions of people. The Council identified the need for a cultural quarter, and the new museum and art gallery will give it a heart and a centre for the local community. It will also benefit the town’s economy by making Swindon a destination for visitors and businesses. This is not a vanity project; it is a serious investment in the future prosperity of the town.
“I think Swindon would benefit enormously from a stunning piece of architecture. It will give people a good reason to visit the town and it should be the most sustainable and cheapest museum to run in the country. I see it as the best thing to help improve the image of the town and it should have huge implications for the economy. It will be £22 million well spent.”
The project has also been warmly welcomed by one of the town’s major employers. Rob Angus, strategy and propositions director at Nationwide, said: “Initiatives such as this are vitally important to the regeneration of Swindon. As a major local employer we know it is important that the town continues to be an attractive place for people to live and work, not just for our current 7,000 strong, Swindon-based workforce but for our future employees too.”
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The director of the Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust is Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker, with a model of the new museum and art gallery[/caption]
The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery trust will submit their application for around £10m of Heritage Lottery Fund money in November 2017, where the bid will compete for a national annual allocation of £50m.
The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery Trust was incorporated on 29 October 2015 under the chairmanship of Robert Hiscox and is run by a board of five locally-based trustees. It was registered as a charity in February 2016.
Hadrian Ellory-van Dekker, who was the Science Museum’s Head of Collections and Chief Curator before joining the trust, has responsibility for overseeing a fundraising strategy, and managing the design and build of the new museum and art gallery and its forward programme of exhibitions and activities.
