"The growth of the Fitzwilliam Museum's collections, in its number of visitors, in the needs of conservation, curatorial care and scholarship, education and access for visitors, particularly those with disabilities, have put its existing accommodation under severe pressure and the Fitzwilliam Museum has therefore devised a building development strategy to improve the accommodation and arrangement of the Museum and to improve access. The courtyard project represents the first major stage of that strategy - its execution allows the Fitzwilliam Museum to approach the new millennium with the accommodation and facilities appropriate to a public institution of such national and international importance."

Duncan Robinson
Director

The development of the Southern Courtyard provides new and improved accommodation for the grade I listed Fitzwilliam Museum. It completes the First Stage in the Museum's long term expansion programme.

The brief required the provision of public spaces including an entrance hall to provide full accessibility, new lift, orientation hall, café and shop, a new gallery, renovated existing galleries and stores for reserve collections, and spaces for research, conservation and teaching.

The new accommodation is provided both within the envelope of the existing building and in a new extension occupying part of an internal courtyard. A continuous roof light separates new and existing building. The winter garden so formed accommodates the new orientation hall, shop and café. Directly linked to this space is an education suite, located in the extended basement accommodating seminar and children's rooms.

The Courtyard project reopened to the public in June 2004.

FURTHER PICTURES