The creator of master site plans for London’s Tate Britain and Edinburgh’s National Gallery of Modern Art has been appointed to develop a new direction forward for the Royal BC Museum in Victoria.
John McAslan + Partners, a UK firm, has been appointed to develop the museum’s new master site plan with local support from Merrick Architecture. The museum hopes the plan will “lay the foundation for the renewal of British Columbia’s museum and archives” and “set the framework for a realistic, functional and affordable future development given today’s economic climate.”
The Royal BC Museum looks after more than 7 million objects, artifacts and records, and a key goal of the site plan is to identify and create the opportunity for a purpose-built collections facility. In addition to the master site plan, McAslan + Partners will design a new lobby entrance and lecture theatre within the existing footprint of the museum’s exhibition building.
“This is an important next step for the museum, and we are delighted to be working with John McAslan and Paul Merrick on this exciting project,” professor Jack Lohman, CEO of the Royal BC Museum, said in a release. The institution is BC’s provincial museum and archives, and its two-hectare cultural precinct also includes a number of historically significant buildings and First Nations sites.
In December, Lohman told the Times-Colonist that “this museum can play an important role in stimulating the local economy. That’s where international touring shows will help. My caveat is that they must be less Hollywood-focused.”
Lohman has also noted that he wants the museum to better reflect First Nations history and local curatorial knowledge. As he put it to the Times-Colonist, “We’ve had curators coming to work for 35 years who have never curated a show. They need to be given a task before they all retire.”
For Tate Britain, McAslan investigated initiatives to enhance the identity of the Millbank neighbourhood and the museum, as well as reinforce connectivity to surrounding districts and the River Thames. Lohman also said that McAslan is currently working on a plan for a new cultural quarter in Doha, Qatar, which includes the design of four new and restored museums.
The community will continue to be involved in the master planning phase through forums, focus groups or meetings which will be announced at a later date, the museum release stated.
