National Justice Museum role for J Tomlinson

National Justice Museum, Nottingham, refurbished by J Tomlinson

The refurbishment team at J Tomlinson has helped to open a new chapter in the life of one of Nottingham’s most loved historic buildings which has become a centre of national significance.

The company played a role in the £1 million redevelopment of the former Galleries of Justice, now known as the National Justice Museum.

The former courthouse and gaol, which houses the UK’s largest collection of over 40,000 law, justice, crime, and punishment artefacts, recently underwent a transformation thanks to Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) support.  

Nottingham-based J Tomlinson, which has more than 60 years’ experience of heritage project work on listed buildings, museums and historic landmark buildings, completed key parts of the redevelopment, refurbishment and redecoration.

J Tomlinson construction director Pete Woods, who heads up the refurbishment team, said: “Each refurbishment or restoration contract we undertake is unique but to be involved in a heritage project in our home city, in a venue which is so well known and well regarded locally, was an honour for the J Tomlinson team.

“Our work at the new National Justice Museum ranged from relocating a set of old heavy gallows trap doors, originally from Wandsworth prison, and a heavy protective glass cover, down two floors and setting into the floor for display purposes through to the redecoration of the stunning Victorian court room and Shire Hall, as well as the former gaol cells in the cellar and basement, and the installation of track lighting.”

It was the latest heritage refurbishment project for Beeston-based J Tomlinson, which works primarily throughout the East Midlands, West Midlands and Yorkshire, and follows on from schemes such as the refurbishment of the 12^th Century Old Grammar School in Coventry. 

The National Justice Museum is not only attracting visitors from across the country, but it has also become an educational resource of national importance. It includes new areas to display a wider selection of archive items, features an increased number of interactive displays, a new crime gallery featuring free exhibitions, plus even more fun, family friendly activities. 

Some of the most well-known items at the National Justice Museum include playwright Oscar Wilde’s cell door, force-feeding equipment used on Suffragettes and conscientious objectors, Great Train Robbery evidence and the dock from Bow Street Magistrates Court, which was used in notorious cases such as the trials of Oscar Wilde, Roger Casement and the Krays.

Tim Desmond, Chief Executive of the National Justice Museum, which is based on High Pavement in the Lace Market area of Nottingham, said: “The refurbishment of a Georgian Prison has to be a massive challenge for anyone and I have to say the team at J Tomlinson were excellent, working within the limitation of budget and timescales. They really have taken our museum into the 21^st century and helped us become the first national museum in Nottingham.”

Jonathan Platt, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund East Midlands, said: “This transformation of the National Justice Museum will allow a much wider audience to explore the fascinating history of law, justice, crime, and punishment, and will create a nationally important cultural destination for Nottingham. We are delighted that, thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support this project.”

In addition to the support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the transformation has also been made possible by support from WREN, Charles Hayward Foundation, Museum Development East Midlands, Big Lottery Fund: Awards for All, Arts Council England, Jones 1986 Charitable Trust, JN Derbyshire Charitable Trust, and the Forman Hardy Charitable Trust.

For more information about J Tomlinson, visit www.jtomlinson.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk

Engineering exhibition role for Focus Consultants at V&A Museum

Ove Arup Exhibition © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Focus Consultants has played a key role in the opening of a Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) exhibition dedicated to the most influential engineer of the 20^th Century.

Revealing the untold design stories behind some of the world’s most famous buildings, such as the Sydney Opera House and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, to recent projects such as Crossrail, the exhibition is the first ever major retrospective on Ove Arup (1895-1988).

Engineering the World: Ove Arup and the Philosophy of Total Design is part of the V&A Engineering Season and is one of the most ambitious exhibitions that Focus has completed at the V&A, incorporating a bespoke mezzanine and stairlift structure, said Focus partner Eleanor Clarke. 

It is the fourth exhibition that the Nottingham-based company has worked on at the V&A in London this year alone, and follows Undressed: A Brief History of Underwear, which charted the history of underwear from the 18th century to today, Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century and Botticelli Reimagined.

It opened just before the V&A was named the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016, recognising the outstanding innovation, imagination and achievements of the museum throughout the preceding year. 

Focus was project manager, quantity surveyor and contract administrator for the Ove Arup exhibition, which runs until 6 November.

“Focus has been proud to have worked with the V&A on a range of exciting and informative exhibitions since 2014, reflecting our expertise in this sector,” said Eleanor. “This latest exhibition, dedicated to the work of the influential engineer Ove Arup, has been particularly ambitious and we hope visitors will enjoy the experience.

“We’re absolutely delighted to hear that the V&A Museum has recently been named as the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2016, and are so proud to have played a role in helping to provide such a rich visitor experience at this wonderful museum.”

The design and build of the Ove Arup exhibition has been project managed by the London office of East Midlands-based Focus, which opened five years ago in response to demand for its services, particularly in the museum, arts and heritage sector.

Focus, which has its headquarters at Phoenix Business Park, Nottingham, as well as offices in London, Leicester, and Boston and Aubourn in Lincolnshire, specialises in creative approaches to securing funding packages and delivering high quality projects across the UK. Since its creation in 1994, Focus has helped to secure more than £953 million of grant assistance for a range of projects and businesses across the UK and delivered more than £1.3 billion of projects and programmes – making it one of the most successful companies of its kind.

It has worked with virtually all the major museums in London, and many across the UK, providing support for capital projects, permanent and temporary exhibitions, and renovation schemes - developing and delivering award-winning heritage projects.

For more information, visit www.focus-consultants.co.uk

Press release issued by Nottingham based PR company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk