Science Museum after firm to build National Collections Centre

The Science Museum Group is on the hunt for a main contractor for its new National Collections Centre.

The group, which runs five museums across the UK, including the Science Museum in London (pictured) and the National Railway Museum in York, is looking for a contractor for the building, called Building One (pictured), at Wroughton on the edge of Swindon.

Firms have until 23 May to register their interest, with at least five companies expected to be invited to tender by 7 June. Work is expected to start in October and complete by early November 2019.

In its contract notice, the Science Museum Group said it required “a new building that will be a fit-for-purpose conditioned storage facility that will house and manage the SMG collection and accommodate managed public visits, support object conservation work and provide staff facilities”. The notice did not specify how much the job is worth.

Plans for the new facility, which has been designed by GWP Architecture, were submitted to Swindon borough council just before Christmas last year. A decision is due around now.

Objects from the Science Museum Group collection will be stored, researched and prepared in the new facilities before they go on display across the group’s museums.