It stands as a
shining beacon of architectural and engineering
innovation on the banks of the River Clyde. The
Riverside Museum is Glasgow’s newest visitor
attraction, home to the transport, engineering
and shipbuilding legacy that made Glasgow
great.
The Riverside
Museum is an architectural masterpiece, designed
by Zaha Hadid, arguably the world’s most
in-demand architect. The £74 million museum is
Hadid’s first major public commission to open in
the UK. It houses more than 3,000 exhibits, in
over 150 interactive displays telling the
stories of the people who made the term ‘Clyde
Built’ one which travelled the world and spoke
volumes about unbeatable quality. From massive
steam locomotives, to the re-creation of a city
street during the 1900s, the cathedral-like
structure provides a stunning backdrop to
showcase the innovation and ambition of what was
the ‘Second City of the Empire’.
The Riverside
Museum opens to the public on 21 June. It has
been funded by Glasgow City Council, the
Heritage Lottery Fund and the Riverside Museum
Appeal. Like all of Glasgow’s 10 civic museums,
entry is free.
Outside, The
Tall Ship Glenlee is moored in front of the
museum’s dramatic south façade, bringing her
together, for the very first time, with the
city’s unrivalled ship model collection, and
creating a dramatic and iconic international
destination. The Glenlee is one of only five
Clyde-built sailing vessels afloat in the world
today and the only one in the UK.
Councillor
Gordon Matheson, the Leader of Glasgow City
Council, said: “Glasgow’s history as an
industrial giant, a global leader in engineering
and shipbuilding, is celebrated in an
architectural masterpiece which shows that we
remain at the cutting edge of design and
technology.
“On the same
spot where ships and paddle steamers were built,
the launch of the Riverside Museum is an
occasion which both Glasgow and Scotland can be
proud of. While we celebrate our past, we are
determined to look to the future. Indeed, now
there are more people working in Glasgow in
culture and tourism than ever worked in the
shipyards even at their height.
“Glasgow is a
city transformed, from post industrial
wasteland, to a global destination for culture
and sport. The eyes of the world will be on us
in 2014 as we host the Commonwealth Games, but
as the Riverside Museum demonstrates, we have
more than just our sporting legacy to shout
about.”
More than 1,200
people have worked on the project, since it was
given the initial go-ahead in 2002 and work
on-site at the historic Pointhouse Quay, began
in 2007.
The main
contractors, BAM, described the building of the
massive, 2,500 tonnes steel roof, without any
internal supporting columns, as the most
challenging engineering feat in the UK today. An
additional 3,000 people worked on the various
construction contracts to build the museum and
quayside public realm.
Colin McLean,
Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland,
said:
“The Heritage Lottery Fund grant to Riverside is
the biggest grant we have ever given to a
project in Scotland. We recognised the ambition
to revitalise an outstanding transport and
engineering collection in a way which would
breathe new life into both the exhibits and this
stretch of the river.
“The results
have surpassed all that we hoped for and I have
no doubt that this Heritage Lottery investment
will entertain, educate and inspire generations
to come.”
The museum
reveals the rich and varied stories of Glasgow’s
great achievements and vibrant spirit; of
technological breakthroughs and heartbreaking
tragedies; of local heroes and global giants.
Many of these tales are told through audiovisual
displays, hands-on interactive and digital touch
screens. The displays will be accessible and
many are designed to engage children and young
people and to give a better experience for
disabled visitors.
The museum’s
major attractions have been designed and built
into the structure of the building – with some
arriving before the completion of the structure,
such is their size. Highlights include, the Wall
of Cars, the hanging Bicycle Velodrome, South
African Locomotive, No9 Tank Engine, Motorbike
Deck, Ship Launch Show, the Rest and Be
Thankful, and three re-created period streets.
As well as the
old, there are more recent star attractions,
including Graeme Obree’s hand-made bikes which
made him a world-champion and the late Colin
McRae’s Subaru Impreza that he drove to win the
World Rally Car Championship. Danny MacAskill
became a YouTube sensation after the release of
his terrifying video Way Back Home. At the
museum, visitors can see the bike made famous
through gravity defying stunts and social media.
The Riverside
Museum Appeal (RMA) is a charitable trust
established to raise £5 million in sponsorship
and donations from companies, trusts and
individuals for the development of the new
Riverside Museum. To date, it has raised around
£4.5 million, during one of the worst economic
downturns in recent memory.
Lord Smith of
Kelvin, Chair of the Appeal, said: “I want to
thank the trustees, our patrons, companies,
trusts and the many thousands of individuals who
have all contributed to this outstanding
celebration of Glasgow’s great industrial and
engineering history.
“Every penny
raised by the Appeal has been spent on creating
what I believe will fast become one of the UK’s
leading visitor attractions, but more
importantly, a place where children can be
inspired by the skills and talents which made
Glasgow a global great.”
Lord Smith,
added: “You can still donate to the Appeal and
every person who donates will have their
contribution marked forever within the museum.”
The Tall Ship
Glenlee has undergone a £1.5 million refit prior
to the move to Riverside, which included the
creation of new visitor displays. Dr
Christopher Mason, Chairman of the Clyde
Maritime Trust, said: “The Tall Ship will open
at Pointhouse Quay on 21 June and will be
exhibited permanently alongside the new
Riverside Museum. The ship will be a perfect
complement both to Zaha Hadid’s building and the
collections displayed inside it.”
The Riverside
Museum is Zaha Hadid’s first major public
commission to open in the UK. The British-Iraqi
architect was appointed by the city in 2004 to
design what has already become an instantly
recognisable addition to Glasgow’s skyline.
Since then, she has won the RIBA Stirling Prize
and is the only female recipient of the Pritzker
Architectural Prize, architecture’s “Nobel
Prize”.
She said: “The
history of Glasgow is profoundly interlinked
with the history of the Clyde, and together they
have informed the museum’s design. I wanted the
building to reflect the importance of its
location and allow for the innovative and
inspirational display of its outstanding
collection. The fluid design continues Glasgow’s
rich engineering traditions; a true
demonstration and celebration of the skills and
passion of local engineers and contractors who
helped to bring this building to life.
“The Riverside
Museum rises from Glasgow’s great industrial
past to become an integral element of the modern
city which is embracing its future.”
Editor's note:
We are grateful to Glasgow Museums for providing
this expert assessment of the opening of The
Riverside Museum. We wish this outstanding
enterprise every success.
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