Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill

We have worked on the project since 2011 through three successive appointments and have become partners with Derby Museums, together with the Creative Core, in shaping and supporting the strategic and curatorial direction of the museum.

Derby’s Silk Mill is the site of the world’s first factory and a part of Derwent Valley Mills Unesco World Heritage Site. The Museum Trust undertook a £16.4m programme to create an inspirational and active Museum of Making – locally designed and delivered; globally significant. The Museum of Making was co-produced with communities, volunteers, staff and an integrated consultant team – inspiring future generations of makers, creators and innovators.

The new Museum of Making opened in May 2021 following its major transformation which included the construction of the Civic Hall, creating a dramatic welcome space and housing a suspended Rolls-Royce Trent 1,000 engine alongside items from the collection, a new cafe and retail space. It has been shortlisted for and won multiple awards since its opening in recognition of the transformation to the building and museum interpretation offer.

 

‘We have worked with Bauman Lyons on a number of project phases in the redevelopment of the Silk Mill, from a £0.5m programme to the £16m redevelopment as the Museum of Making… The length of time we have worked with them is testament to their professional ability and strength of working relationships. They are skilled architects, providing creative and relevant approaches to the multiple demands of our business plans, heritage buildings and the needs of our communities.

‘They embrace collaborative ways of working, providing appropriate leadership and pragmatic solutions to problems that arise.’
Hannah Fox, Former Director of Projects & Programmes at Derby Museums

 

 

Highlights

  • Making of the Museum of Making has been truly in the spirit of collaboration, creativity and co-production from inception to completion and beyond into the future.
  • Through a series of experimental phases, we worked hand-in-hand with audiences, volunteers and partners to prototype the concept for the Museum of Making. Using a small amount of capital funding, the ground floor of the building was refurbished in 2015 to reveal the original fabric of the building and create a large, light and open space. The ‘fit-out’ and use of this space, inspired by the ‘maker movement’, has provided opportunities for volunteers and partners to be involved as citizen makers and curators, working with Makers-in-Residence (offering industry expertise and experience), client and design and co-production teams.
  • Collectively we will have designed and built the building, furniture, fixtures and fittings; programmed events and activities; and created the first ‘DIY’ museum with community participation at its heart. The approach to the development of the Silk Mill has received national and international attention and secured Stage 1 funding from HLF and ACE.
  • We reviewed all procurement options and continuing in the collaborative spirit of the project we championed the Integrated Project Insurance (IPI) method which requires all key stakeholders to form one single virtual company to allow us to share risks and work in a blame free environment.
  • RIBA East Midlands Regional Award Winner 2023.

 

The Museum of Making really stood out for me. It’s beautiful, and the long term relationship that the designers had with the organisation has been important. The diversity of activities and age range of people using the space make this a stand-out project.’
Helen Taylor, Future Cities Forum Awards Judge

 

Image Credits

Architectural Photography: Nick Dearden – Building Narratives

except from the following images:

Slideshow images 3, 5, 10, 12, 18, 22, 23 and 34 by Speller Metcalfe
Visitor portraits by Chris Seddon Photography
Other photos by Bauman Lyons Architects

 

 

 

Client

Derby Museums

Location

Derby

Budget

£17 million

Heritage

Grade II listed

Collaborative Team

Creative Core
GCA Consulting
Derry Building Services
Preston Barber
Speller Metcalfe
IPInitiatives

Media

RIBA Journal Article – Bauman Lyons gets heritage mill back to work as Museum of Making

Arts Council England – Museum of Making – the valley that changed the world

Awards

RIBA East Midlands Regional Award winner 2023

RIBA East Midlands Project Architect of the Year 2023

RIBA East Midlands Client of the Year 2023

Constructing Excellence National Awards 2021 – Conservation and Regeneration Award Winner

Constructing Excellence East Midlands 2021 – Winner of Winners

Constructing Excellence East Midlands 2021 – Building Project of the Year Winner

Building Awards 2021 – Refurbishment Project of the Year Winner

Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 – Shortlisted

George Rennie Architectural Award, Derbyshire City Council – 2022

Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award 2022 – Best Medium Museum