Projects / National Museum of Flight – Phase 3

Client

National Museums Scotland

Project Description

Proposed extension to the existing National Museum of Flight, in order to house a permanent exhibition centred around the story of commercial flight, with Concorde as its centrepiece. The project acts as a gateway to the wider site, with the inclusion of enhanced visitor facilities, in the form of a café, shop and events space.

Innovations & Added Value

Situated on the edge of the East Fortune airfield, a former WW1 and WW2 air base and designated Scheduled Monument, our proposals seek to use this as a key touchstone in respect to the development of an architectural language that is also sensitive to the wider rural area, in which the museum is sited.

A simple overarching shell ensures that the proposed exhibits remain the primary point of visual interest. Within this, a secondary architecture, drawing its inspiration from the structures of the former airship hangars that once graced the site, guides visitors through the exhibition, culminating in a tower that facilitates views across the wider historic airfield, recognising the site as a museum piece in itself. This new architectural language also suggests a device via which future wayfinding and interpretation can be introduced around the airfield, as the museum continues to develop.

Status

Competitive Bid – Shortlisted scheme