An eight-year redevelopment at St Fagans National Museum of History, project managed by Focus Consultants, has successfully completed and been topped with a highly commended accolade at the RICS 2018 Grand Final Awards.
The Nottingham-based company first began working with the Welsh museum in 2010 when Focus was appointed for the preparation of a Heritage Lottery Fund bid. The bid was successful – securing £11.5m in HLF grant funding for the museum on the outskirts of Cardiff. At the time, in 2012, it was the largest HLF grant ever awarded in Wales.
Focus was subsequently retained to provide business planning, quantity surveying and project management services for the £30m redevelopment at the site, which is Wales’ largest and most popular heritage attraction.
“Over the last eight years, the team at Focus Consultants has watched with pleasure as the redevelopment of St Fagans National Museum of History has gone from strength to strength,” said Richard Aston, Partner at Focus Consultants, which also has offices in London, Leicester, Newark and Boston, in Lincolnshire
“We consider ourselves very fortunate to have been involved in a project that contributed over £27m to the UK economy via the construction industry and supported numerous volunteering, school and employment initiatives, including 160 work placements and three apprenticeships.
“It’s been a fascinating journey and we are proud to have played a key role in such a significant cultural scheme which gives insight into 230,000 years of life in Wales.”
The revamp has added new features and exhibitions, and revitalised others at the museum, which has been open to the public since 1 July 1948 and is celebrating its 70th birthday this year.
St Fagans National Museum of History is the second most visited open-air museum in Europe, and Wales’ most visited heritage attraction with more than 600,000 visitors per year. It is also the largest provider in Wales of learning outside the classroom with 360,000 family visitors and 85,000 formal education visitors.
Recently, St Fagans National Museum of History won the Tourism and Leisure Category in the RICS Awards 2018, Wales, for the redevelopment of its Grade II listed main building, which has been part of the inspirational programme of improvements that has been ongoing at the site. It subsequently went on to be highly commended at the national RICS 2018 Grand Final Awards.
Focus Consultants has worked on developments with many of the major national and regional museums in the UK, including the National Science Museum, the V&A Museum, the National Army Museum, Brooklands Museum and a host of others.
The company offers a range of services to the museum, arts and heritage sector, including funding advice and support, business planning and project management.
For more information about Focus Consultants, visit www.focus-consultants.com
