Northern Irish firm Gilbert-Ash will start on site next year

Tate Liverpool has appointed Gilbert-Ash to carry out its 拢29.75m revamp of its gallery in Royal Albert Dock. 

Designed by 6a architects, the plans to redevelop the grade-I listed museum were granted planning permission and listed building consent in October. 

The 19th century warehouse has been home to the Tate Liverpool art gallery since 1988, when it was opened after being transformed by the late James Stirling. 

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Source: 6a

The Tate has been at its Liverpool base since 1988

Its upcoming redevelopment includes a new public 鈥榓rt hall鈥� on the ground floor, which will be opened to up to admit daylight and views across the historic dock.  

New gallery spaces over three floors will be interspersed with public riverside foyers. 

Gilbert-Ash recently completed work on the Jamie Fobert Architects and Purcell-designed National Portrait Gallery refurbishment. 

The Belfast-based contractor has also worked on other celebrated cultural jobs, including the Stirling Prize winning Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, Battersea Arts Centre and Bristol Old Vic. 

>> Has the National Portrait Gallery refurbishment been a success? 

Emma King, capital director at Tate, said: 鈥淕ilbert-Ash鈥檚 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.  

鈥淲e 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.鈥� 

Gilbert-Ash鈥檚 project director Rodney Coalter, who recently completed the National Portrait Gallery job, will head up the team, which is already in place and finalising plans to deal the logistical and technical challenges ahead of starting on site in early 2024. 

It comes as Liverpool City Council seeks a team of planning and placemaking consultants to design a masterplan for the city鈥檚 waterfront over the next 15 years, and after the announcement of plans for a new partnership to jump-start regeneration across Liverpool and after  

Funds for the Tate Liverpool redevelopment have come partly from the central government鈥檚 Levelling Up Fund (拢10m) and the DCMS Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (拢6.6m), as well as the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. 

Environmental standards and thermal performance will be significantly improved with new services replacing fossil fuel, with renewables and natural ventilation introduced to the building to ensure better energy performance. 

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