National Museums Scotland has been awarded a prestigious industry award at the 2012 national Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence ceremony.
The £47 million Transformation of the National Museum of Scotland project was announced as the joint winner in the hard fought Permanent Exhibition category, sponsored by Service Graphics, after being shortlisted from hundreds of entrants from across the UK and Europe.
The three-year overhaul at the museum on Chambers Street, Edinburgh included a transformation of the building, new displays and extensive work to make the Museum more accessible.
The award was presented by comedienne and broadcaster Sue Perkins at a glittering ceremony on Wednesday (May 16th) at 8 Northumberland in Central London.
Jane Carmichael, Director of Collections at National Museums Scotland, said: “We are delighted to be joint winners with the Holburne Museum of the prestigious Museums and Heritage Awards for best permanent exhibition. The transformed National Museum of Scotland has received a hugely positive public response, welcoming nearly 1.9 million visitors from home and abroad since opening last summer. We regard this honour as further recognition of the huge success of our redevelopment and of the work undertaken by the architects, designers and all of the team involved.”
Now celebrating its tenth year, the annual Awards recognise projects of excellence ranging from groundbreaking achievements of national institutions to those crafted with limited resources and budget or those championing sustainability.
The Awards are judged by a panel of the sector’s leading lights including: Diane Lees, Director General, Imperial War Museums; Bernard Donoghue, Director, Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) and other leading sector professionals. Following the Awards ceremony, Sue Perkins said: “I was delighted to host the Museums + Heritage Awards for Excellence again this year. It is wonderful to see that despite the difficult economical climate, our amazing cultural sector remains as diverse and inspiring as ever!”