Western Range Town Planning Consultant

Overview

The project is focused on the Western Range, a substantial part of the estate that is in urgent need of both repair and re-imagining. This offers the Museum an opportunity to make a statement of its future intent, through reimagined galleries, new state-of-the-art storage facilities and engaging contemporary architecture, in juxtaposition to the highly significant and already celebrated listed buildings on the site. Despite appearing as a single entity, the Western Range comprises a miscellany of separate buildings which have been added to Robert Smirke's original Grade I listed Museum; as a result, the exact extent of the red-line boundary and phasing for this project is dependent on a number of interlocking considerations. The proposed project outline can be seen in the attached documentation. In the region of 15,000m2, it accounts for almost 15% of the floor space within the Bloomsbury site, in a warren of inflexible and static rooms. Further, recent surveys indicate that the existing building fabric and infrastructure are in a state that is below modern expectations. It comprises around 7,500m2 of gallery space and currently houses the Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece (including the Parthenon Sculptures), Rome, and Ancient Assyria and Middle East collections, along with 4,500m2 of back-of-house collection storage. Working with the Museum, the Town Planning Consultant will work with the design team to deliver an architecturally significant, long-lasting, robust intervention, founded on an effective approach to sustainability. This will address the shortcomings of the existing buildings, while delivering the first phase of the reimagined display of collections in new, permanent gallery spaces, alongside modern-day visitor experiences and back-of-house facilities, all within a built environment that is simple and effective in its design and management. Addressing the challenges posed by the condition of the existing buildings and infrastructure will require sensitivity, careful intervention and complex, intricate design solutions. The Consultant will: Review RIBA Stage 0/1 documentation to identify parameters for the Strategic Brief. Support the development of the Concept Design and Planning Strategy through RIBA Stage 2. Support development of the preferred option through RIBA Stages 3 and 4. Lead on coordination and production of the Planning Application documents. Manage submission of the Planning Application and activities as required throughout the Determination phase and discharge of an pre-commencement conditions. Full scope details are provided in the procurement documents