Museum extension in pipeline

Plans for an extension at the Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA) have been formally lodged with Fife Council.

The museum is the centrepiece of the university’s museum service and has consistently been awarded a five-star ranking under Visit Scotland’s Quality Assurance scheme – the only university museum in Scotland to hold this ranking.

Now proposals have been submitted to boost the museum’s offering, with listed building consent being sought for a new extension.

The project aims to provide two new galleries for temporary exhibitions, a studio/workroom for seminar groups; a dedicated office space for staff; a changeover store to allow artefacts to be stored safely; and a new foyer to accommodate larger groups on arrival and improve the conditions throughout the museum. There are also plans for a new plant room, which would house an improved environmental control system to precisely regulate temperature and humidity.

Those behind the plans say the extension is needed as temporary exhibitions are currently held a 20-minute walk away in the Gateway building on the outskirts of town.

The site on The Scores was originally the coach house of University House, built for Lord Borthwick in the 1870s, and was used in the latter part of the 20th Century as a garage for the university car.