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The facts
Client: Glasgow City
Council
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Services: Project and Cost
Management
Sector: Culture
Contract Type: Traditional contract
utilising SBCC 205 WQ
Project Value: £74m
Start/Completion: 2007 - 2011
The project
The new £74m Riverside Museum in Glasgow is situated on
the banks of the River Clyde in the heart of the city’s harbour
development, reinforcing Glasgow's global transport heritage as
well as giving visitors access to more than 3000
exhibits.
Capita Symonds provided project management, CDMC and QS services
on the Zaha Hadid-designed scheme.
Outside, The Tall Ship Glenlee is moored in front of the
museum’s dramatic south façade, bringing her together, for the very
first time, with the city’s unrivalled ship model collection, and
creating a dramatic and iconic international destination. The
Glenlee is one of only five Clyde-built sailing vessels afloat in
the world today and the only one in the UK.
The museum’s other major attractions have been designed and
built into the structure of the building, with some arriving before
the completion of the structure, such is their size. Highlights
include the Wall of Cars; the hanging Bicycle Velodrome; a South
African Locomotive; No9 Tank Engine; Motorbike Deck; Ship Launch
Show; the Rest and Be Thankful; and three re-created period
streets.
As well as the old, there are more recent star attractions
including Graeme Obree’s hand-made bikes which made him a
world-champion, and the late Colin McRae’s Subaru Impreza that he
drove to win the World Rally Car Championship.
Danny MacAskill became a YouTube sensation after the release of
his terrifying video ‘Way Back Home’. At the museum, visitors can
see the bike made famous through gravity defying stunts and social
media.
The new museum has been funded by Glasgow City Council, the
Heritage Lottery Fund and the Riverside Museum Appeal.
More than 1,200 people have worked on the project, since it was
given the initial go-ahead in 2002 and work on-site at the historic
Pointhouse Quay, began in 2007. The main contractors, BAM,
described the building of the massive, 2,500 tonnes steel roof,
without any internal supporting columns, as the most challenging
engineering feat in the UK today. An additional 3,000 people worked
on the various construction contracts to build the museum and
quayside public realm.
Photos (c) Lenny Warren / Warren Media
and Culture & Sport Glasgow (Museums)