Global professional services consultancy Turner & Townsend has cost managed the conversion of the former Commonwealth Institute building into London’s new Design Museum which opens to the public on 24 November 2016.
The Design Museum, which was previously based in south east London will now be located in West London. The new venue is three times the size of the Design Museum’s former home and is expected to attract 650,000 visitors a year.
Turner & Townsend provided cost management services in its first collaboration with the Design Museum. The 10,000m2 building, which had stood vacant for over a decade, has been redeveloped by a team led by London architectural designer, John Pawson.
The independent consultancy’s role included setting the commercial framework for the project, with target costs that allowed the designers to work creatively without putting the budget at risk.
Colin Wood, Director for Turner & Townsend said: “It’s truly exciting to see the Design Museum open its doors after six years, having seen the transformation of a Grade II listed landmark building into a contemporary, design-led museum.
“Turner & Townsend’s arts and heritage team was able to use its experience and expertise within the cultural sector, having successfully delivered a series of large-scale projects such as the Natural History Museum Darwin Centre Phase 2 and refurbishment of Tate Britain.
“The project was procured and delivered in 2016 within the budget that was set in 2010, an achievement in itself in the cultural sector where projects often exceed budgets. This approach to managing change and identifying potential savings has allowed the consultancy to Safeguard the charity’s budget.”
Alice Black, Deputy Director of the Design Museum, added: “Turner & Townsend’s experience within our sector made the consultancy a natural choice for this project, and they’ve played a vital role in transforming this landmark building into our new premises.
“The new Design Museum will be a world’s leading museum of contemporary design and architecture, an international showcase for design skills and a creative centre, promoting innovation and nurturing the next generation of design talent.”
