Ben Bradshaw MP buries time capsule
11 December 2009
Exeter MP and Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw joined funders, contractors and museum staff on Friday 11 December to celebrate progress in the Museum development project.
To commemorate the occasion, Ben Bradshaw helped conceal a time capsule in the temporary exhibitions gallery. The capsule contained thoughts from both local people and those involved in the project. Their thoughts record contemporary issues; personal, local and global - painting a picture of everyday life in Exeter for future generations to discover.
Exeter City Council's Lead Councillor for Environment and Leisure, Cllr Kevin Mitchell, said: "The Royal Albert Memorial Museum is one of Exeter City Council's flagship services. Being such an important part of lives of so many people in Exeter and Devon, it is fitting that their thoughts are being buried to commemorate this momentous period in the Museum's development. This ceremony also marks an important milestone in the development project: construction works will soon make way for the exhibition fit out and we all look forward to the reopening of the Museum in spring 2011."
The 2001-2011 Development Project treats the Museum buildings as a single unit for the first time in its 140 year history. RAMM was built over a thirty year period to house the museum along with a school of arts, a school of science and a library. Each has flourished, outgrown its allotted space and moved on, leaving the museum to expand until it could grow no more. The city library moved out of the Museum in 1930, the school of science ultimately developed into Exeter University and the school of art is now Plymouth University's Faculty of Art & Education. The redevelopment will allow further growth with an additional entrance and a new temporary exhibitions gallery and all sections of the building will be integrated to serve Museum visitors for generations to come.
The Development Project is supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund. Allies and Morrison, London are the Architectural Designers and Ralph Appelbaum Associates of New York/London the Exhibition Designers.
Image above: Steve Tapson, Regional Director of BAM Construction, Hazel Ball, ECC Director for Community and Environment, Sam Hunt, Heritage Lottery Fund SW Committee and Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State for the Department of Media, Culture and Sport.
Time capsule inscription
This time capsule commemorates Exeter City Council's Royal Albert Memorial Museum Development Project (2001-2011). It was buried by the Hon Ben Bradshaw MP, Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport in December 2009.
The capsule contains the thoughts of local people collected during November 2009.
Main contractor BAM Construction Ltd
Architects Allies and Morrison
Exhibition Designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Project Manager and Quantity Surveyor Focus Consultants UK Ltd
Structural and Services Engineers Building Design Partnership
Construction Design Managment Northcroft
