Sea City Museum
In October 2010 Kier Southern started work on phase 1 of the project that will transform the Grade II Old Magistrates' Court building into the new visitor attraction for the city, opening in time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster in 2012.
549 Southampton people lost their lives in the disaster, most of whom were crew who served in the Merchant Navy.
Around 150,000 visitors are expected to visit Sea City every year to visit its two permanent and one temporary special exhibitions gallery.
The galleries developed in phase one will focus on two main themes:
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Southampton as Gateway to the World, recounting the stories of people who have departed from or arrived in the port of Southampton over at least the last 2000 years. |
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Southampton's Titanic Story will focus on the hidden history of RMS Titanic's crew, and will explore what it was like to be in the Merchant Navy 100 years ago. |
The project will also include the development of a new Special Exhibitions Gallery. It will host a dynamic range of temporary exhibitions covering arts and heritage subjects. The programme will include in-house productions, based upon Southampton's own collections, and touring exhibitions from national museums, art galleries and similar organisations.
The first temporary exhibition for 2012 will be 'Titanic, the Legend'; this will focus on the international fascination with the story of the Titanic.
Since March 2009 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded the council a total of £4.9 million towards the £15m museum. Southampton Cultural Development Trust has been formed as a Company limited by Guarantee to raise funding towards the costs of the project.
Post 2012, if funding permits, later phases could open up more of the Old Magistrates' Court 1930's building as exhibition space.
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What is happening now?
Kier Southern is the building contractor on Sea City. The work commenced in October 2010 and is rapidly progressing.
In February 2011 a time capsule was buried under the foundation of the pavilion of Sea City and in March the steel frame went up and the building has started to take shape.
During April the pre-cast cladding panels are going up on the pavilion to shape the outfacing walls.
Demolition of walls, ceilings and partitions are happening in the Old Magistrates' Courts of the building and openings will be made between the exhibition area in the pavilion and the Old Magistrates' Court.
Also, a new ground floor entrance will be made into the visitor attraction replacing the old steps going into the civic building.
Latest News (June 2011)
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The internal walls to the new iconic special exhibitions pavilion are being installed this month. |
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As the building previously had no lift provision - currently a pit is being dug in the foundations of the building for the lift. |
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The steel frame holding up the building is being exposed in certain areas and maintained and repaired to ensure the buildings life is extended. |
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New drainage tanks have been created in the access ramp behind the special exhibitions pavilion and a new cable has been laid to service a new substation being built at the back of the project to provide sufficient power to the new visitor attraction. |
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The heritage windows from the buildings have been removed repaired and given a new lease of life and are being replaced in the building with new secondary glazing. |
Further information is available by contacting:
Email leisure.projects@southampton.gov.uk
Tel 023 8083 3498 (or 3597)
Major Projects Office, Leisure and Culture Division, Civic Centre SO14 7LY
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