Great North Hancock Museum

Aims and objectives

Based in Newcastle, the Great North Museum project was designed to transform the original Hancock Museum building, a Grade 2* listed building dating from 1884, and create a museum fit for the 21st century.

The redevelopment was needed to modernise the building, making it fit for purpose and to accommodate the flourishing range of education and cultural activities it delivers. The project has also significantly increased display and exhibition space enabling the bringing together of three important collections into one major visitor attraction.

Project Start Date and End Date

Planning for the project began in 2002. The museum closed to the public in April 2006 for refurbishment, and re-opened in May 2009.

Services offered

The Museum houses a rich and diverse range of major collections from the Newcastle University’s Museum of Antiquities, the Shefton Museum and the original Hancock Museum collections, appealing to a wide audience of local people and visitors to the regions, families, community groups, school children, students and academics.  The use of new technology is a particularly successful feature of this development, bringing the exhibitions to life and enhancing the overall visitor experience.

Some of the outstanding spaces in the museum include The Living Planet – a dramatic floor to ceiling display showcasing animals from around the world using an imaginative combination of historic and new taxidermy, models and live animal displays. In the Hadrian’s Wall gallery the unique Roman collections from the World Heritage Site are displayed around a 22m model of the Wall combined with a full scale interactive projection allowing visitors to build a virtual Wall.

The Museum also offers a range of other facilities including:

• Environmentally controlled, secure, temporary exhibition space with excellent access for large exhibits.
• Events spaces
• Learning suite
• Two cafes
• Two shops
• Study garden
• Library facility

Success factors

The success of the development can be attributed to the commitment of the partners, to the development of a shared vision, and to the strength of the collections including designated natural science collections and an exceptional collection for the world heritage site of Hadrian’s Wall.

It has become the flagship museum for the North East, being the most visited attraction in the region in 2009. Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums recently reported that the success of the Museum had pushed their overall annual visitor figures for their 12 venues to over 2 million for the first time.

The success of the museum has led to it receiving a Commendation in the World Architecture Fair Awards in Barcelona in 2009 for interior design, being long listed for the Art Fund Prize and short listed for the 2010 Family Friendly Guardian Awards. The Museum also won the 2009 British Interactive Media Awards in its category, the Northern Marketing Awards and the Journal NE Culture Awards for best museum in the region.

Risk factors

Refurbishment of an historic property, as in all such projects, represented a significant risk should unforeseen difficulties arise. The project itself was funded through a complex range of funding streams requiring acceptance of a range of distinct performance outputs which, to date, have been achieved.

Business/operational model

The project was delivered in a partnership led by Newcastle University. The Museum is managed by Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums on behalf of Newcastle University under a Service Level Agreement.

Financing and delivery/procurement

The project, which cost £26million in total, was funded by a range of partners including:

• Heritage Lottery Fund
• Newcastle University
• Newcastle City Council
• European Regional Development Fund
• ONE North East
• Tyne and Wear Sub-Regional Partnership
• DCMS
• A range of trusts, corporations and individuals

The architectural redevelopment of the Museum was designed by Architects
Terry Farrell and Partners. Exhibition design was by Casson Mann.

Measurement and Monitoring

The success of the development can be clearly evidenced in the rise in visitor figures. Since its re-opening in May 2009 the museum has attracted over 800,000 visitors (prior to redevelopment the Museum generally attracted around 80-100,000 visitors p.a.). Surveys show that this also includes a significant number of tourists.

The project has not only boosted the local economy, but has helped to transform the reputation of the North East.

Future developments

Planning for the refurbishment of the Hatton Gallery, which falls under the banner of the Great North Museum, is currently underway. Should this be successful, the project would significantly modernise the building, allowing the gallery to further develop its highly regarded exhibition programme and to showcase its collection of historic and modern art.