Building contractors William Skinner refurbish Highland museum and heritage centre

(I-Newswire) May 24, 2007 - Ayrshire, Scotland, Thursday 24 May 2007-- AYRSHIRE-based building contractors William Skinner & Son have won a contract to redesign and refurbish Timespan, the museum, art gallery and heritage centre in Helmsdale, Sutherland, Scotland.

The initial work will focus on the new reception and shop displays as the gallery, shop, café and riverside geology garden will reopen by the end of the month.

The new museum, which won't be open to the public until July, is where some of the most innovative and stunning changes will be seen first.

A dynamic new design is being introduced that will allow updating and changing exhibitions on a regular basis, which will keep the museum fresh and exciting.

"There was much to love about the original Timespan," explained the centre's Director Rachel Skene, "but its layout did not allow for new exhibitions or loans from national collections. We will soon have a museum of regional importance, designed to the highest and latest standards."

The museum will include a core collections room featuring key themes from East Sutherland's heritage, a new version of the well-loved crofting street and a new storytelling room, which will show audiovisual presentations and live storytelling events.

Upstairs, a new community archive and exhibition room will improve provision for the popular community heritage projects and the developing genealogy research.

For the first time Timespan will have dedicated facilities for learning and volunteer work. A multi-use workshop has been designed for the wide range of activities - children's 'messy' art workshops, volunteers conservation work, talks and presentations, the knitting group and others.

It will have its own access lobby with an IT suite.

There is a small studio flat for artists in residence and visiting curatorial experts.

William Skinner managing director Sandy Cunningham said: "This is a very exciting opportunity for us to work on this project with Nord Architects for the Timespan Heritage Centre.

"We at William Skinner hope that the refurbished Timespan Museum and Heritage Centre will prove to be a boon to the people of Helmsdale, and that it will bring increased business and tourism both to the town and to the surrounding area."

William Skinner & Son

Ayrshire and Cambridgeshire-based building contractors William Skinner & Son have recently diversified into tree houses with a contract from leading hotel and conference centre group De Vere Venues.

They have also made a successful entrance into the solar heating market, attracting a large number of new clients throughout the UK, and have demonstrated their commitment to the wider field of renewable energy by installing a 6kW Proven wind turbine at their HQ in St. Quivox and including PV panels in the design for their proposed office extension.

The aim now is to offer general advice on the suitability of any of the available renewable energy techniques, or any mix of them, to solve individual energy supply problems, and they are developing a consortium of available local expertise to help them develop that.

William Skinner & Son are members of The Elite Ayrshire Business Circle, an association of some of the top companies in Ayrshire.
For further information telephone 01292 671188 or visit the company website at www.williamskinner.co.uk

Timespan website: www.timespan.org.uk

-ends-

William Skinner & Son
HEAD OFFICE:
Cunningham House
Highfield
St Quivox
AYR, Ayrshire
Scotland KA6 5HQ

Telephone: 01292 671188
Fax: 01292 671133

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