Lottery £1.85m for Brunel Museum prior to bicentenary
THE Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe has been celebrating the award of a £1.85 million grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a major development planned in advance of the bicentenary of the beginning of work on the world-beating Thames Tunnel.
The money will help fund the threeyear Brunel Museum Reinvented project, which will restore the existing engine house to its original glory and see a new gallery created. Inside the gallery, an exhibition will highlight the ground-breaking work of Marc Brunel and his son Isambard, using new technology such as augmented reality.
The project will also see the creation of a new Welcome Pavilion in advance of the 200 year celebrations in 2025 to mark what was regarded at the time as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World.’ It will have accessible facilities, a shop and cafe, enabling more people to visit and learn about the Brunels and their legacies.
A collection of 30 watercolours known as the Thames Tunnel Archive will be on display for the first time. These were painted by the Brunels throughout tunnel project and offer a unique insight into its creation.
Important collection
Considered exceptional for their beauty, artistic merit and technical detail, the drawings have been described as the most important Brunel collection ever to enter the public domain. They were buried in a family album for nearly 200 years but were acquired by the museum in 2017 and have been waiting to find their permanent home on the walls of the restored Engine House.
The popular Tunnel Shaft Garden and the adjacent piazza will be retained as an open space for community activities and will host free-entry events.
The museum will also go on tour to other local venues such as Surrey Quays and Millwall Football Club. A paid trainee role will be created for a young person from a disadvantaged background, and work experience will be organised through Lewisham Southwark College for young people with special needs.
The museum’s Katherine McAlpine said: “We’re thrilled to have received this support from the Heritage Fund. Thanks to National Lottery players, we’re not only able to revolutionise the museum and its space but look at how we involve and interact with our local community and schools here in Southwark. Having this new space means that we can engage more with everyone and involve them in what the next 200 years will look like for us.
Educational focus
“The Thames Tunnel is where Isambard Kingdom Brunel learnt his trade from his father, so it is only fitting there’s a big focus on education. We’re thrilled to provide a traineeship and work experience and will also be working with primary school history and STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programmes.
“We’re hoping by enabling more people to learn about the amazing story of the Brunels, we can inspire the next generation of engineers.”
Stuart McLeod, director of EnglandLondon & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are delighted to support the Brunel Museum to help it transform its spaces and experience for future visitors – whether from the local schools, the wider community or further afield. Not only will it restore historic buildings, but it will also create an accessible space where people can come to discover the stories of one of the most important historic families to revolutionise our cities. Investing in heritage such as this means that a wider range of people can be involved in heritage. This is an essential outcome for all of the projects we support.
“In recent years, museums have had to diversify and adapt to support their future. Thanks to National Lottery players, this new space will enable the Brunel Museum to have greater flexibility and futureproof its offer.
“As well as this, this historic building and the stories it tells will be protected for future generations. What a great legacy.”