HPA Keeps National Tramway Museum on Track
The new café at the National Tramway Museum, in Derbyshire, presented an interesting set of challenges for HPA, as our team were tasked with blending traditional and modern elements into designs. The Client wanted to increase capacity and add a function room for events such as weddings and conferences. These new facilities had to meet latest energy efficiency standards – as well as increasing accessibility for visitors – while at the same time sitting within the Edwardian street scene that had been so carefully created by popular attraction. The project was further complicated by the existing timber structure that was no longer fit for purpose.
MUSEUM ARCHITECTS – A SOLUTION WITH MANY BENEFITS
HPA’s design includes removing the old building and lowering the vacant ground to street level, before construction even commences. The rear will then serve as a retaining wall for higher ground at the rear of the building. This layout allows level entry from both front and rear, without need for ramps.
Access to the first floor will be provided via new lift and staircase. As an additional benefit, this lift will be shared by the adjacent re-built Edwardian pub, The Red Lion, which was transported brick-by-brick from its original location in Stoke on Trent.
The ground floor of the new facility will be home to a new, larger kitchen, with the capacity to serve many more visitors, along with a large seating area. Above this, there will be a first-floor function room which will also provide additional seating during the day. This two-storey design provides the modern, energy efficient facilities that the museum needs, however, this was only half the challenge.
To meet the aesthetic elements of the brief, the front of the structure has been designed to resemble a row of shops, with windows that can be dressed with exhibits relating to trams. This will blend naturally into its Edwardian surroundings, creating an authentic street scene.
The HPA team’s expert museum architects used all their innovation and imagination to create a solution that answered all parts of this complex brief. And we are delighted to announce that we have secured Planning Permission on behalf of our Client, bringing them a step closer in helping the National Tramway Museum better serve not only a greater number, but also a wider range of future visitors.
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