A Safe Haven for Henry VIII's Favourite Warship, Mary Rose to be Revealed
On 28th March, at 10.00am, in The Society of Antiquaries, Piccadilly, the design of a purpose-built museum to house both the hull of Henry VIII's flagship, Mary Rose and the thousands of unique objects that were raised with the ship, was presented to the press.
Over 7 million visitors have seen the Mary Rose in the current ship hall and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard which also features HMS Victory and HMS Warrior currently attracts 600,000 visitors each year. The new combined museum, key to the stated long-term strategic vision for the Mary Rose and the Historic Dockyard, has the potential to draw even more people to the city.
In December 2004, The Mary Rose Trust launched a competition to appoint a team of architects and museum specialists to design a museum as the first stage of The Final Voyage of the Mary Rose. The museum will re-unite the hull of the Mary Rose with some of the 19,000 artefacts raised during the dive on the wreck between 1975 and 1982.
Some 45 submissions were made and, after a series of interviews, Wilkinson Eyre, supported by Pringle Brandon and Land Design were chosen to design a project that would excite as well as be suitable for a permanent museum right alongside HMS Victory, Britain's most celebrated warship. Gifford and Davis Langdon, with their extensive experience in engineering and managing similar projects, complete the project team.
The wooden clad, oval building will cover the dry dock in which the Mary Rose is currently being conserved. The design is reminiscent of both the ship's hull and the ancient covers that enclosed dry docks in the past. Three levels of galleries will be built to tell the story of the successful flagship, described at the time as 'the flower of all ships that ever sailed'. It will enable an innovative display of the objects recovered from the ship on recreated decks that will place items in their original context.
View more pictures of the new design here
Other galleries will explain how the ship was built and will recount her action filled 34-year history. At present the items that are on display to the public are housed in a temporary museum over 300 metres from the ship itself making it difficult for visitors to fully appreciate the complete Mary Rose story.
The new museum will make a significant contribution to the visitors' appreciation of Tudor Maritime History and the century that saw the creation of Britain's future commonwealth, spearheaded by Drake's circumnavigation. By the time it opens, the conservation of the ship's hull that is being preserve by spraying with special chemicals, will be complete and visitors will be able to get close to this 500-year-old vessel with no barriers between them and her timbers.
HRH The Prince of Wales, the President of the Mary Rose Trust, who dived on the wreck site over thirty years ago said: “The time has come to reunite the ship with its incredible collection of artefacts in one building. ”The Prince added: “This museum, with its much improved educational facilities and its new displays, will enhance hugely the visitor experience and will safeguard the Mary Rose for future generations to enjoy.” The project will add greatly to one of the nation's favourite visitor destinations, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.
It is estimated that the project will cost in the region of £23 million. Although it is hoped that a request to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a grant of £13 million will be successful, the Mary Rose Trust is now starting a campaign, The Final Voyage, to raise over £10 million from other sources. Building work on site will start in 2008 with the museum being opened to the public in 2011, the five hundredth anniversary of the maiden voyage of the Mary Rose.
28th March 2006
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