Scapa Flow Museum, Orkney refurbished by AJ Engineering and LDN Architects, Forres, shortlisted for The Art Fund's Museum of the Year award

A public building in Orkney which underwent a refurbishment involving a Forres firm is now a finalist in a national competition.

Having had £4.4 million invested in it, the Scapa Flow Museum at Lyness, worked on by AJ Engineering and sister company NEWCo, has been announced on The Art Fund's shortlist for this year’s Museum of the Year award along with The Burrell Collection (Glasgow), Leighton House (London), The MAC (Belfast), and the Natural History Museum (London).

Art Fund director, Jenny Waldman, said: “The 2023 finalists are at the top of their game, offering inspirational collections and programmes for their communities, for visitors from across the UK and around the world.

"From transformational redevelopment to community involvement to addressing the major issues of today, the shortlisted museums may operate at very different scales, but all show astonishing ambition and boundless creativity. Each is a blueprint for future innovation in museums.”

The winning museum will be announced at the British Museum in London on July 12 and will receive £120,000.

Staff from AJE and NEWCo worked on the Orkney Islands project which involved enhancement of interpretation and displays, creating a building to be used as an exhibition space, café, toilet facilities and information areas.

The team also worked on the restoration of the existing pumphouse and boiler house. The NEWCo team had to repair and make a replica of two steel chimneys, historically significant to the project.

Orkney Islands Council secured a grant of £1.155 million from The Heritage Lottery Fund for the project.

Scapa Flow served as a sheltered harbour for British ships during war, with some 12,000 people once stationed off the Orkney isle. Lyness became the naval headquarters in Orkney during 1919 before works were undertaken to further enlarge the base in the 1930s.

New additions to the museum include a virtual reality display, and renewed audio visuals which have been developed to tell the history of Scapa Flow and its modern-day role in Orkney.

The building was shortlisted in The Galvanizers Association Galvanizing Awards (GAGA Construction Awards).

It was put forward for the award by LDN Architects who worked on the museum. The award looks to recognise innovation in the use of hot dip galvanising.

Galvanised steel was used extensively in the museum’s extension and restoration, including its new climate-controlled space. It has also been utilised in the 'A'-listed pumphouse, chosen for its aesthetics, and the practical benefits of the material in Orkney’s challenging climate and location.