The winning team will design and deliver a new permanent Heart of Cornwall & Nature Gallery on the ground floor of the landmark River Street museum which displays items of Cornish history from prehistoric times to the present day.
The project is the latest installment in the ongoing transformation of the Royal Cornwall Museum into a new ‘multi-arts community’ venue. London studio Wignall & Moore won a £389,508 design and build contract for the renewal of the museum’s Rashleigh Mineral Gallery in November.
According to the brief: ‘This project is part of a phased transformation of the Royal Cornwall Museum that will create a sustainable visitor destination that plays a significant part in Cornwall’s cultural offer and creates a vibrant multi-arts community asset in the heart of Truro.
‘This tender is for the appointment a design and build contractor to provide both the Professional Services Principal Design Team for the technical professional services and the delivery and build element. The core of the works is the complete the redisplay of the ground floor permanent galleries; the Heart of Cornwall Gallery, the Nature Gallery.’
The Royal Institution of Cornwall runs the Royal Cornwall Museum which was originally set up in 1919 within a former Truro Savings Bank premises. Along with the Courtney Library, the complex hosts a large collection of Cornish minerals, ceramics and fine art.
The search for a design team comes eight months after Cornwall Council announced a new £30 million construction consultancy services framework. Last month Launceston Town Council launched a search for an architect for a new library hub building.
The latest project will see around £1 million invested in upgrading the museum’s main ground floor permanent exhibition spaces. The budget includes a maximum of £200,000 for design fees.
The winning team will develop a detailed design from RIBA stage 1 for sign off by Royal Cornwall Museum and see the project through to RIBA stage 6 – including ‘delivery of contract administration, cost control and project management for the management of the construction works and delivery of the build element.’
Bids to deliver the contract will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality, 5 per cent on social value and 35 per cent on price. Applicants must hold employer’s liability insurance of £5 million, public liability insurance of £10 million and professional indemnity insurance of £2 million.