Following an international competition win in 2003, Hoskins Architects prepared a 15-year masterplan to guide the redevelopment of the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The principal £47.4 million phase of this work was completed in 2011. The £14.1 million third phase was completed in 2016, coinciding with the Museum’s 150th year.
The principal phase involved completely refurbishing the grade-A listed Victorian building, with new public spaces and entrances allowing the museum to reconnect with the surrounding cityscape. The stone-vaulted cellars were reconfigured and opened up to create a dramatic public entrance hall, with new stairs and lifts taking visitors up into the delicate cast iron structure of the original central atrium. Within one month of reopening the museum attracted over 500,000 visitors, far exceeding all anticipated visitor targets.
The third phase redeveloped 10 galleries across three levels, which are dedicated to decorative art, design, fashion, science, and technology. A new glazed roof to the Science and Technology galleries provides a naturally lit gallery stack, which enhances the connection with the Grand Gallery at the heart of the Museum.