Children enjoy first peek at new centre
Doors will open to the public on Monday
A landmark Stirling building will open its doors to the public on Monday (July 3) after undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment.
Culture and Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop visited the Engine Shed this week to officially declare the building open.
Based at Forthside Way, the building has been converted at a cost of £11million into Scotland’s national building conservation centre.
Ms Hyslop was given a tour of the building by Historic Environment Scotland officials. She said: “A lot of focus goes into new builds but there are 450,000 traditional buildings in Scotland that need to be maintained and some of them may even need to be transformed like this building.
“I have been involved right from the start and this has been an important project for Stirling, for Scotland and even internationally.”
The public will be able to visit the building for free from Monday, and Riverside Primary pupils were given an early chance to get to grips with some of the technology which will be on show.
Centrepiece of the main space is a large-scale map of Scotland compiled from hi-resolution satellite images, from which visitors can access additional information using an iPad as an augmented reality device.
Other interactive exhibits, an auditorium and virtual reality experiences have been created.
There are lots of displays on building materials and techniques which are used in Scotland, and the building will be home to Historic Environment Scotland’s building conservation research and education facility, which will share its world-class expertise with national and international partners in building conservation.
“It’s incredible,” said Historic Environment Scotland’s David Mitchell. “The building really has been transformed.
“I live locally and have been driving past it every day. I always thought it was a fantastic building but that it didn’t seem like that it was ever going to go anywhere.
“It’s great that we have managed to get it back into use and to have people in to enjoy what is a landmark for the city.”
Workshops will take place throughout the summer – including creating pieces inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s designs currently on temporary display at The Engine Shed.
They were recovered from the fire that hit Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building in 2014.
The former munitions shed – which had been used by the Ministry of Defence – was empty for several decades.
A project to transform the building was announced in August 2013. It was due to be completed last June but that date was revised following construction difficulties.
It is now hoped that the building will spark further regeneration in Forthside, with the area playing a key role in Stirling’s City Deal proposals. Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford said: “It really has been a transformation.
“To see this ancient military facility be turned into the building conservation centre is amazing, especially for the Stirling area.
“The building is amazing but there are also the teaching facilities, the digital printing and the science – it really will be a leading facility.”