We all have to move with the times. Gareth Hoskins Architects, in collaboration with Lordculture, have produced a £10m concept master plan for the redevelopment of the existing David Livingstone Centre, Blantyre, on behalf of The National Trust for Scotland (NTS).
The centre is currently closed for renovation which will take 2 years. Part of the redesign includes making the centre flow better, with better access and in line with bringing the centre much more into a modern, tourist attraction.
Housed within the remaining Blantyre Mill the current David Livingstone Centre, Shuttle Row Museum includes Livingstone’s birthplace and classroom on a site of Special Scientific Interest but has struggled to maintain visitor numbers in the face of local competitive exhibits and historic locations. To remedy this, the master plan calls for enhancements to the existing Shuttle Row Museum to form a more sustainable and engaging tourism destination alongside the development of related attractions themed on discovery, adventure and leadership.
This would see visitors arrive at a new reception space from where they can access a café, shop and expanded exhibition space. Surrounding ancient parkland meanwhile would be retained and redeveloped, and although this concept art includes an elevated woodland treetop trail, it is unknown by us at this time what it is store for the centre grounds.