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FDS Associates Limited - International Foodservice Consultants - Professional Management and Design Consultancy - Industrial Kitchen Design Systems |
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Case Study: Glasgow's Best Loved - Kelvingrove Art Gallery and MuseumThe most visited Museum in the UK outside London with more than a million visitors annually – and it is also Glasgow's most loved building, according to a local poll.
One of the finest civic collections in Europe is housed within this Glasgow landmark. Here you can explore collections that include everything from fine and decorative arts to archaeology and the natural world. The number of individual items in the natural history department alone is vast. You can admire Sir Roger the Elephant or wonder at 300-million-year-old fossils of marine life from the Glasgow area. The collection of arms and armour is one of the finest in the world, and in this country is equalled only by the Royal Armouries and by the Wallace Collection in London. Among its many treasures is the earliest near-complete field armour in the world (the famous 'Avant' armour, made in Milan c1440). Also in the collection is the impressive and unique armour for man and horse made for William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke, c1550. The distinctive building that houses the collections is located in the beautiful surroundings of Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow’s West End. It was opened in its present form in 1902 and remains the greatest achievement in the UK of the Victorian Municipal Museum Movement. The intention is to create a 21st Century Museum in Glasgow’s favourite Edwardian building and build an exciting future on a proud past. WIRING “The building was becoming increasingly unsuitable to cater for the needs of our visitors,” explains Anthony McReavy, Project Co-ordinator for Glasgow City Council. “This is the most visited museum outside of London and catering is critical in determining the quality of the visit, from the state of the toilets to the value of a cup of tea. Approximately half of our visitors are repeat – this is a community museum on a national scale.” FCSI consultant Robert Croft of FDS Associates was called in to detail the design brief which included a cafeteria, a fine dining restaurant in the evenings and a 500-seat banqueting hall and kitchen: “This is the premier facility for Glasgow City Council and a major social space for the city, as well as a key provider of income for the Museum,” says McReavy “We identified a new area for the cafeteria – but it was not big enough to cope with the numbers at peak times. Robert Croft worked with the architects Building Design Partnership and the caterers Encore Catering to produce a proposal for an external pavilion to provide the extra space. “We were looking for a mixed use of space and Robert gave us various options.”
“Because it was a Victorian building, a lot of our food had to be prepared off site. We have removed all stores and offices from the building to generate extra space – for the entrance, cafeteria and in particular, the main onsite kitchen which allows us to substantially improve our offer.” Key features of the refurbishmentConservation of the building and collections Improve physical and intellectual access |
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| FDS Associates Limited - International Foodservice Consultants - Professional Management and Design Consultancy - Industrial Kitchen Design Systems | |||
From
July 2003, Kelvingrove has been undergoing a £27.9 million refurbishment
to restore its magnificent Victorian interior and create an environment
in which the collections can be displayed and enjoyed by future generations
of Glaswegians and visitors to the city.
The
re-designed Kelvingrove will create a more accessible and visitor friendly
attraction, with better and larger shops, cafeteria and toilet facilities.
There will be more objects on display than ever before within the 22
major galleries and a wide range of educational and learning facilities
for all age groups.
To
increase the quality of the visit, the role of the catering operation
is quite crucial. We will now be able to look at running a cash cafeteria
plus a coffee shop during weekdays with a fine dining restaurant in
the evenings - plus a 500-seat banqueting hall and kitchen.