Case Study: Athelstan Museum

SolidArt was shortlisted for the M&H Award for Excellence in 2009 for its work on Athelstan Museum, Malmesbury. Our case study illustrates the difference we can make.

 

The Client

Athelstan Museum, in Malmesbury, a town in Wiltshire with a history going back 4,500 years. Founded in 1931, by 2006 it was suffering from years of under-resourcing despite the town's 70,000 annual visitors.

 

The Project

Following a major structural renovation project, SolidArt was commissioned to work with the Museum management to produce a modern attractive museum that would be a focus for the town, and a fitting celebration of its historical significance.

 

The Objectives

The primary goal was to turn a near-dormant facility into a vibrant hub of interest and activity. Footfall would be increased by presenting a much more exciting narrative of Malmesbury within a welcoming environment, accessible to a wide range of interest levels and ages.

In collaboration with the Museum management, SolidArt set themselves the following targets:

• Built-in flexibility to maximise the potential of the limited space and provide for low cost updating
• Accessibility to a wide range of interest levels and ages
• A narrative structure incorporating a planned route through the rectangular space, using ‘zones’ to represent different eras
• A timeline following the route, setting the story of Malmesbury in context within the ‘grand’ narrative of worldwide events
• Tailor-made displays to reveal Malmesbury’s archaeology, economic activity and historical celebrities
• A lighting and display system with bespoke cabinets and display screens, and an electrical and data system with UV filtered and LED lighting
• High quality graphic panels to communicate the story engagingly
• Child-friendly features including push-button and other interactive displays
• Centrepiece models including a detailed interactive scale model of Malmesbury and a sectional scale model of Malmesbury Abbey
• An inviting reception area, desk and shop to encourage interaction between staff and visitors
• A relaxing and enjoyable aesthetic background, using natural materials and colours.

 

Outcome and Evaluation

Original thinking and rigorous planning, monitoring and cost control were the key to delivering an ambitious wish list within a modest and cost effective budget.

The result has been a total transformation in Athelstan Museum’s appearance and appeal as a destination. In the first five months following its re-opening, visitor numbers increased by a third. The museum is also now firmly on the curriculum of the surrounding schools, and has been highly praised by local press and people. Donations, including a significant private collection and a valuable first edition of Hobbes' Leviathan, have been further proof of its success.

At the official opening, a Heritage Lottery Fund representative commented that the new Athelstan Museum was "a superb example of what can be done with limited space and a limited budget".

An additional endorsement came from the 2009 Museum & Heritage Show Award panel, who shortlisted Athelstan Museum for the category Project on a Limited Budget.