The permanent home for the Concorde museum in the UK, Bristol Aerospace Centre, reached practical completion in May 2017. The heritage museum houses a 61.5m Concorde aeroplane which visitors can ‘board’ and features refurbished, listed First World War aircraft hangar, learning suites, archives and workshops. Designed by the UK’s leading firm of architects, masterplanners and heritage consultants Purcell architects, this major new aviation heritage and learning centre explores the hundred plus years of aerospace research, innovation and production.
Based at Filton Airfield, the centre brings together the Bristol Aero Collection and houses a rich company archive and artefacts such as a turn of the 20th century tram, to tell the story of the Bristol Aerospace Company, its people and achievements since 1910 when entrepreneur Sir George White established the British and Colonial (later, Bristol) Aeroplane Company. The project received £4.95m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and was supported by major companies including Bridgehouse Capital Limited, Airbus and Rolls-Royce.
The brief for the exhibits was to inspire visitors to ‘design, make and do’ by making engineering advances accessible. Working closely with exhibition designers Event, Purcell ensured a close integration between architectural and exhibition designs. Their buildings’ designs complement and lend equal weight to large objects and the smaller archival material.
Nottingham-based Focus Consultants was the project manager, cost consultant and funding and business planning advisor. Focus and Purcell worked closely on this project from inception to ensure a close integration of the architectural and exhibition design in both the new bespoke Concorde hangar and the remodelling of the existing hangars.
