04 February 2013
|
New contemporary museum and art gallery for Dunfermline
The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced a £2.8 million grant to establish a new contemporary museum and art gallery in the historic city of Dunfermline. ...
The Heritage Lottery Fund has announced a £2.8 million grant to establish a new contemporary museum and art gallery in the historic city of Dunfermline.The new Dunfermline Museum and art gallery will bring the history of the area to life, highlighting one of the best surviving medieval townscapes in the country, an abbey and palace founded in the eleventh century as a seat of royal power, and industrial heritage relating to the textile, pottery and coal industries in the region.
The facility will be developed across the site linking two Victorian buildings within the Outstanding Conservation Area:
- The Dunfermline Carnegie Library (the first of 2,600 libraries worldwide funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie)
- An adjacent B-listed former bank
Striking new architecture will integrate and extend the two buildings to create contemporary internal spaces for displaying the collections, while offering spectacular views of the medieval abbey and its historic setting.The new attraction will combine a museum, art gallery, library and local history service and will currently inaccessible collections to be viewed for the first time, and touring exhibitions to be staged.
Commenting on the decision, Colin McLean, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: 'The new museum will be a fantastic boost for Dunfermline and a top visitor attraction for Scotland. New life will be breathed into these two striking buildings so that treasures, which have been stored away for years, can be brought out for people to enjoy in a dynamic and contemporary setting. The Heritage Lottery Fund is delighted to be able to support Dunfermline’s holistic approach to its heritage so that visitors and locals alike can enjoy all that this important mediaeval capital has to offer.'
Dreams become a reality
Councillor Mike Rumney chair of the City of Dunfermline Area committee added: 'This really is fantastic news for Dunfermline and for Fife. The major funding announced today from HLF, added to the £6.8 million investment from Fife Council and support from the Carnegie Dunfermline Trust, gives the project the green light and means our dreams of creating this exciting, new facility will now become a reality. It also reinforces the council's commitment to Dunfermline City centre through the town centre action plan.'
Read more history and heritage news from across Scotland.
Keep up to date with the latest history news, discoveries and research in every issue of History Scotland and Scottish Memories.
Sign up now for our FREE e-newsletter for more news stories, sneak previews, exclusive content and special offers.
