Designs for new ‘world class’ NRM Central Hall unveiled
THE National Railway Museum has unveiled five shortlisted design concepts for the York venue’s proposed £16.5 million Central Hall building.
Central Hall, a key part of the museum’s £55-milion Vision 2025 development, is aimed at transforming the arrival experience for visitors and creating an appealing and compelling entrance space.
During museum opening hours, the 4500 square metre centrepiece building will also provide a pedestrian route between Leeman Road and the Marble Arch pedestrian tunnel.
It will include a 1000 square metre gallery to showcase innovative rail technology and the museum’s collection.
Central Hall is due to open in time for the museum’s 50th anniversary in 2025.
The design concepts on show are the work of five teams shortlisted last November 2019: 6a architects (UK) and OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen (Belgium); Atelier d’architecture Philippe Prost (France); Carmody Groarke (UK); Feilden Fowles (UK); and heneghan peng architects (Ireland).
Design brief
The five teams responded to a brief that included a need for the final building to be sensitive to the railway heritage of surrounding buildings and also to the city of York, as well as ensuring that designs are environmentally sustainable.
The first stage of the competition was entered by 76 teams from 19 countries, and a shortlist of five teams was selected by a panel chaired by
Dame Mary Archer DBE, chairman of the board of trustees of the Science Museum Group.
The design concepts are available to view in an online gallery at competitions.malcolmreading.com/ railwaymuseum and at a free public exhibition in the NRM Great Hall, which runs until March 29.
Following the exhibition, teams will be interviewed by a jury which will evaluate the proposals and receive a summary of all public comments for consideration as part of its decision to select a winner.
The competition is being organised by independent specialists Malcolm Reading Consultants and is being run in accordance with EU procurement guidelines and the UK Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
NRM director Judith Mcnicol said: “I am very pleased to share the five design concepts for our new Central Hall, which will showcase our collection and future innovations from the rail industry in an inspirational, purpose-built gallery. Although the final designs are some way off, the winning team will go on to create the final building which will be the cultural focal point at the heart of York Central.”
Cultural anchor
Vision 2025 comprises projects to transform the museum into a worldclass visitor attraction, which includes extensive landscaping of South Yard and redisplaying the museum’s famous Great Hall. The initiative aims to enable the museum to become the cultural anchor of York Central and to attract more than one million visitors each year. ➜ All images supplied from Malcolm Reading Consultants.