Museum Development

It has been an immensely busy year for everyone involved in the project. Since Carmody Groarke won the RIBA competition in 2011, the team has grown to include Arup engineers, Real Studios and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects as well as other expert consultants and advisors.

The plans for the new Museum have been developing, responding to how the collection will be displayed and the stories it will tell. The main exhibition space will show the boats within the context of the lake whilst the wet dock will have boats on the water evoking the spirit of the past. The café will make the most of the incredible views across Windermere, overlooking the jetties where boats will come and go and visitors can board boats setting sail around the lake.

The design team has been working closely with the Trust - our curators, conservation and learning teams - to understand the processes that are involved in the conservation of the collection and find out more about the history of the boats and the people who made and used them on Windermere. We have consulted with many local people and visitors and we are using their comments to inform the project development. Watch out for further opportunities to see the work in progress and comment on the proposals.

The team completed the outline designs towards the end of summer and are working towards detailed designs and a planning application in early 2013.

Charlotte Upton
Project Coordinator