After a highly competitive European-wide tender process which saw 24 architectural practices enter the design competition for our new Visitor Welcome facilities, we are now delighted to announce that Napier Clarke Architects Ltd have been selected.
The Visitor Welcome is a key element of BCLM: Forging Ahead. It includes the relocation the Museum’s entrance to the higher southern end of the open-air site in order to create a physical link between BCLM, the other attractions at Castle Hill (including Dudley Zoo, Castle and Canal Trust) and the new access infrastructure that has recently been completed. This will support the wider Dudley and Black Country strategies to create a tourism hub, capable of attracting 1m visitors per annum.
The winning design proposed by Napier Clarke (see image above) will see the construction of a new contemporary Visitor Centre, which provides a fit-for-purpose admissions point for 5,000 visitors per day and an introductory exhibition, food & drink and retail facilities. This enables the current Rolfe Street entrance building to be repurposed as a dedicated Learning centre.
Napier Clarke Architects Ltd, brought together a team of Donald McIntyre Design Ltd, BWB Consulting and Red Kite Network Ltd. Together they presented a robust and attractive design, and our selection panel felt that their approach and skills match the Museum’s requirements.
We are looking forward to working with them on this essential aspect of the project and will keep you updated with progress on the design.
Andrew Lovett
Director and Chief Executive