The Belfast-based construction firm Gilbert-Ash has been appointed as the main contractor to refurbish the Tate Liverpool gallery. The Construction Index reports that the £30m project has recently been granted planning permission and listed building consent. The gallery has been closed since October in preparation for the two-year project.
Gilbert-Ash specialises in cultural building refurbishment, having recently completed work on the National Portrait Gallery in London and the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. The plans for the Tate gallery include a new public art hall on the ground floor, which will be opened up to let more daylight into the space and allow views over the dock.
There will also be further new gallery space across three storeys of the building, which occupies a Grade I listed former warehouse in Albert Dock. It was designed by Jesse Hartely and completed in 1848.
It is considered to be one of the finest examples of industrial architecture in Europe, but despite this it had fallen into disrepair by the mid-twentieth century. It was acquired by the Tate in the early 1980s, and the architect James Stirling was appointed to convert it into a gallery.
The work was finished in 1988, and it largely conserved the red brick exterior of the building. However the interior was completely transformed into a modern gallery space that came to be at the forefront of Liverpool’s arts and cultural scene. The ‘Tate of the North’ now attracts over 600,000 visitors a year.
Tate capital director Emma King said: “Gilbert-Ash’s track record of working to the highest standards on both cultural and heritage buildings makes them the perfect contractors to deliver the reimagined Tate Liverpool.”
She added: “We look forward to collaborating with the architects and contractors to deliver this once-in-a-generation renewal, creating an art museum fit for the 21st century.”
Gilbert-Ash construction director Raymond Gilroy added: “We are delighted to have been selected to deliver this landmark and transformational project at Tate Liverpool. It is another unique project to add to our extensive portfolio in the cultural, arts and heritage sector.”
“The team is already in place finalising plans to deal with the many logistical and technical challenges that lie ahead, in advance of a start on site in early 2024.”
The refurbishment will see the fossil fuels replaced with renewable energy and a natural ventilation system will be installed. The thermal performance of the building will also be upgraded.
The project is being funded by a range of sources including £10m from the government’s levelling up fund. This was awarded as part of the combined £20m bid with National Museums Liverpool. Further funding has been provided by The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
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