PLANS for an ambitious new £6m exhibition space at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) have taken a huge leap forward today thanks to a £1.8m grant by the Wellcome Trust - the second largest charitable foundation in the world.
Leese: “This is such a coup for both the museum and the city"
Following a £3.8m pledge by Chancellor George Osborne in December last year, the investment by the London-based biomedical research charity will allow the museum to convert its 1830 buildings - a collection of three structures that includes the first ever railway warehouse and the oldest surviving passenger station - into a venue for world-class exhibitions.
Having raised £5.6m the team behind the project are now trying to secure the final "six to seven percent", according to a MOSI spokesperson.
1830 Warehouse, MOSI
In May the museum will begin its search to find a design team with the ambition and vision to create a space which museum bosses hope will 'shift the centre of gravity of the Science Museum Group' (a collection of British museums including The Science Museum in Kensington) up towards Manchester and enable the MOSI to develop its own touring exhibtions to travel the world's museums.
The new 1830 gallery should open in 2018.
Director Sally MacDonald said: “We are thrilled! This support from the Wellcome Trust means we can realise our ambition to become the northern home for cutting-edge, interactive contemporary science exhibitions, to inspire the scientists and inventors of tomorrow. We will be working closely with the Trust and other partners to create exhibitions that will launch in Manchester and then tour internationally, showcasing our collections, our historic site and the city’s vibrant scientific research.”
Leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese comments: “This is such a coup for both the museum and the city. Building a brand new gallery for contemporary science in the vaults of one of the most important and historic buildings in Manchester is such a fantastic way of showing how much the city has contributed, and continues to contribute, to science nationally and globally. Manchester is currently European City of Science and this new gallery will further enhance our reputation for putting science at the heart of our cultural life.”
The MOSI attracts around 700,000 annual visitors each year.
The Wellcome Trust recently announced the winners of their annual Wellcome Images Awards. The winning image for 2015 was of pregnant pony uterus shot by Michael Frank of the Royal Veterinary College. All winners are currently on show in the MOSI - more here.
