NORTON PRIORY

RESTORATION

LOCATION

Runcorn

SECTOR

Restoration

CLIENT

Norton Priory Museum Trust

ARCHITECT

Buttress

PROJECT VALUE

£3m

CONTRACT

Design & Build

PERIOD

Jun 2015 – May 2016

CONTRACT PERIOD

48 Weeks

THE BRIEF

H.H. Smith were awarded the prestigious conservation project at Norton Priory. Works included the refurbishment of the existing museum and a new build double storey glazed link to incorporate a spacious foyer, exhibition rooms, café and toilet facilities. The roof of the undercroft was removed and an exhibition space built above the stone structure using the existing ring beam. External works included re-cladding and reroofing using cedar tiles to provide a new envelope. The existing museum was remodelled internally to suit the new layout. Works also included external landscaping and a new entrance to the building.

KEY POINTS

This 2 stage procurement required H.H. Smith to value engineer the works to assist the client to achieve an acceptable specification within the available budget. Extensive work was undertaken to satisfy both the client and the various funders & stakeholders to enable the works to commence. Of the original £3.4 million contract tendered sum, through collaboration, H.H. Smith were able to re engineer the scheme to offer a £400k saving to the client.

CHALLENGES

The attention to detail required to ensure the new structure abutted seamlessly to the 12th Century Grade I listed building and incorporated modern mechanical & electrical works demonstrates the quality of H.H. Smiths work. Forward planning was robust and agile to enable progress. The Museum’s central artefact, the 4m stone statue of St. Christopher, had to be protected in a bespoke crate and stored prior to it being relocated to home within the new entrance foyer.