The Burrell Renaissance Project will revitalise the museum for existing and new audiences and ensure that the world-class Collection and its architecturally significant home are safeguarded for the future. Nearly half of the funding for the £68.25 million project was committed by Glasgow City Council with more than a quarter coming from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and significant donations from The Scottish Government, the UK Government, and from many generous trusts and private donors.

The £68m project has added an addition 1,000 sqm concourse, along with a play scape and café terrace. Located in Pollok Country Park, it will reveal a greener, expanded space giving visitors access to over a third more of the building. The project has created new gallery space meaning 90% of the collections are now accessible, compared to just 20% previously. The expansion makes for a total of 225 displays spread across 24 galleries, with an updated digital offering including video walls, interactives and hybrid systems.

A new roof, glazing and cladding, and more efficient power, heating and lighting systems have been added to enhance its energy performance and provide a stable environment for the Collection. The changes made to the fabric of the building to make it more air tight and water tight, and new glazing make it far less susceptible to changes in heat, and the upgrades of plant and systems means the building is far more efficient, and able to take advantage of new technologies in the future to lessen its impact further.

FES was delighted to have delivered the complex and specialist Building Engineering Services packages, including Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing installations, on this prestigious building. 

FES was delighted to have been appointed as the Mechanical and Electrical Contractor for this very prestigious project. The building is a three-storey structure, with curving concrete walls and 2,500 pre-cast rough stone panels, weighing up to 3000 kg each and spanning up to 4m wide, which are hung on the walls to create the appearance of a Scottish cliff face. There are 21 separate wall sections, with no straight external walls. V&A Dundee is an impressive 8,000m² building, with 1,650m² of gallery space.

A Low and Zero Carbon Technologies study was undertaken as part of the project’s BREEAM obligation to identify the most appropriate form of renewable energy for the building. Varieties of options were considered, resulting in geothermal energy being identified as the most appropriate solution.

Thirty 200-metre deep bore-holes form part the system for the heating and cooling of the building, supplemented by air source heat pumps on the roof. These provide direct renewable energy for the museum, with 800,000kWh/annum of heating and 500,000kWh/annum of cooling. The project will achieve the BREEAM Excellent category as a recognised measure of sustainability.

A major success on this project has been the early appointment of FES and our active involvement in the Design process influencing technical solutions to meet the complex building layouts for main spine distribution and plant locations. This was developed by using Digital Technology for co-ordination with multi-service modules manufactured off-site at our Pre-Fabrication Facility.

FES FM has been supporting Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP) since 2011 on a 7 year contract delivering hard FM services to 2,500 properties across the Western Isles.

This successful partnership was recognised in November 2015 when FES FM and HHP were selected as the winner of the PFM Award for Partners in Expert Services – Property Management Category.

FES FM were appointed to provide the Maintenance Services to HHP’s property portfolio in 2011 following the successful tender process. FES FM demonstrated not only our capabilities to self-deliver a large majority of the works driving value for money, but also our commitment to work with HHP through a long-term collaborative partnership to achieve their objectives and core values.

This new partnership was also enhanced by the aligned values and ethos of both organisations. FES FM are a family owned and managed business and our strategic visions and goals are based around our people and the delivery of positive social and economic impacts. The vision and goals of HHP are aligned with those of FES FM, thereby providing the perfect foundations for a mutually successful long-term partnership.

“HHP and FES FM quickly developed a strong working relationship which led to a seamless mobilisation and immediate improvement in service delivery.” 

“The partnership has delivered significant benefits to date particularly around budget and cash flow management, performance management and service quality.”

John Maciver, Director of Operations, HHP

FES provided the Electrical Services including HV and LV distribution equipment, small power and lighting, emergency lighting central battery system, lighting controls, IT infrastructure, fire alarms and security systems.

Substantial tunnels, up to 3.5m deep, beneath the floor are the main routes to carry the building services infrastructure such as power and lighting, security cameras and IT cables. These feed into a discreet rail of services running the length of the museum walls.

The communication of the complex geometry and setting out of the steel structure was a key challenge for the entire team. To overcome this challenge, 3D modelling was utilised by all team members for both design development and construction information.

Both the front and rear elevations are designed to have an expansive clear façade with a large overhang, reducing solar exposure to the building interior. The rear elevation provides views up and down the Clyde. A key feature is the spectacular pleated and curved metal roof which houses a low energy heating and cooling system hidden within the fabric of the building.

Councillor Gordon Matheson on the opening ceremony stated: “The Riverside Museum is a breath-taking new home for our internationally-renowned transport collection.”

“The exhibits inside this magnificent new building have been given a further lease of life thanks to some stunning new displays that not only show off the trains, cars, trams and bikes, but also tell the stories of the people who made them, bought them, used them and loved them.”