We’re excited to be reinventing the Brunel Museum in time for the 200th anniversary of the Thames Tunnel in 2025!
We know there will be lots of questions along the way. We’ve tried to answer the most commonly answered ones below, but if you have any more questions about the project, please email us on hello@thebrunelmuseum.com or come along to one of our Open Days!
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What is happening to the trees on the site?
As well as the two very important buildings, the site is home to a number of mature trees. We have worked very carefully to keep all the mature trees on the site, particularly those highlighted as category B trees or better, including the monkey puzzle tree in the south-east corner. This has been one of the factors that has led us to site the building at the southern side of the site.
In order to create the new pavilion the two cherry trees at this part of the site will be lost. We have worked with the council tree officers to chose two replacement trees that will be planted next to the new building on site. These blossom trees will be advanced nursery stock when planted, and so that means that they will already be reasonably mature and will be approximately 5m tall when they arrive on site.
The museum has also agreed to pay for the council to plant 7 new cherry trees of different varieties within the borough to provide some compensation for these two trees being lost. The new trees will provide attractive blossom, as the Cherry trees do now, but with excellent longevity and are of a species well suited to thriving in urban environments.
Why are you building a new building?
There is a fine balance between improving access to the site and maintaining the integrity of the historic fabric of the buildings. By removing the toilet, shop and office functions from the Engine House, we are able to make better use of this Scheduled Ancient Monument as a key part of the Museum’s exhibit.
Funding from the Lottery will enable vital improvements to the Museum’s internal displays – a significant step change which will enable the Museum to properly tell the rich Brunel story. The new spaces created will give the Museum an exciting and viable future and will allow it to continue to be a key place in the local community.
What is happening to the garden on the southside?
The Brunel Museum is host to one of Rotherhithe’s best loved green spaces, and we have considered this very carefully in our plans for the Museum’s future. As such, we have kept the footprint of the new welcome pavilion to an absolute minimum and have very carefully planned the interior spaces to allow this to happen.
A wildflower meadow will be incorporated into the current greenspace in the south-eastern corner of the site which will help to improve the biodiversity of the area from the current grass lawn in this area. The plans propose no changes to the north side of the site, which will remain as a space open to the public and local community that faces the river.
What is happening to the Ship of Blueprints?
We have not been able to find a new home for the Ship of Blueprints. We are currently planning to save the tiles for future use. We are inviting people who were involved in the original creation of the tiles in 2004 to take part in a reminiscence project with us. Please get in touch by emailing hello@thebrunelmuseum.com
What consultation did you do?
The Museum conducted consultations with local groups as best it could during the Covid-19 pandemic. During lockdown, this proved particularly challenging, but we persevered as we understand the importance of this work. For the first few months of engagement, all activities took place online and over the phone. We were able to reach many local stakeholders this way, and we also took this opportunity to explore how to make even better use of the Brunel Museum’s social media channels. We ran Twitter polls for the first time, posted more widely on local Facebook groups and used zoom workshops to engage with our volunteers.
We followed this online consultation with face-to-face engagement, running and attending various events in September and October once lockdown had eased. A consultation event at the Museum in September 2020 was attended by over 300 people and this, in particular, shaped the final designs that were submitted for planning.
If you have any questions about the project, please email hello@thebrunelmuseum.com
Will there be an opportunity to meet the contractor?
Yes! We are hosting an open evening for close neighbours of The Brunel Museum to learn about the planned building works taking place on the museum site from Autumn 2024- Spring 2025. Come and meet the project team and contractors to find out more about the project, ask questions and learn how it might affect you. More details and RSVP here.
Can’t make it? Email your questions in advance to hello@thebrunelmuseum.com
Would there be additional Bicycle storage?
Yes new cycle stands would be provided on the Piazza.
What events will be taking place during the closure?
We’ll still have plenty going on during the closure period. We’ll be announcing the details of our Museum on Tour programme soon. You can also arrange for one of our volunteer guides to come and give a talk at your organisation or institution. If you’re a school, check out our outreach options for us to visit you at school.
Sign up to our mailing list or check out our What’s On page for up to date information.
What will the first temporary exhibition be?
For our first temporary exhibition will be a youth-led arts exhibition. We are partnering with local community organisation Bizzie Bodies and artist Amanda Duncan to support a group of young artists to create an immersive textile art piece inspired by the museum’s collection and stories.
What will the new displays be like?
Our new displays will focus on the many different stories and experiences of building and using the Thames Tunnel, from its engineers and workers, to stall holders, performers, and visitors from all over the world. We’ll be exploring the fascinating lives of the Brunel Family and showing how the Thames Tunnel project laid the foundation for all modern tunnelling projects. We’ll be displaying some unique items from our collection, such as our amazing watercolours, for the very first time there will be new videos and interactives to explore and get stuck into. The new gallery will be a fun, welcoming, and friendly space for families and our local communities and we can’t wait for you to see it.
If you have any questions that haven’t been answered above, please email hello@thebrunelmuseum.com with your questions or why not come along to one of our consultation events.