The National Museum of Scotland is one of the nation’s most important institutions, so it is fitting that this museum is housed in one of country’s finest modern buildings. Situated in Edinburgh’s historic Old Town the museum stands out due to its uncompromisingly modern architectural style. This contemporary design was initially controversial, however, the quality of this dramatic building has ensured that it has become appreciated as one of the city’s finest cultural attractions.
The almost impossible task of creating a suitable home for the first purpose-built museum dedicated to Scotland was made harder by the decision to build the structure on a prominent site in Edinburgh ’s historic Old Town. An open competition was hosted to find an appropriate design that would live up to the high national expectations while fitting comfortably into the sensitive site.
Architecture Competition To Build The National Museum Of Scotland
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) competition to construct the new museum extension received over three hundred proposals. From these initial entries a shortlist of six was created before the relatively unknown firm of Benson & Forsyth, was announced as victors. Their competition winning submission did not alter much, and is largely unaltered what we see today.
Benson & Forsyth’s Design For The National Museum Of Scotland
The dramatic modern building located in the core of Edinburgh’s historic Old Town initially appears to reject the past, however, the design is routed in Scottish history. There are many references to both Scottish and Edinburgh architecture. One example is the design’s most striking feature, the detached cylindrical entrance tower, which takes inspiration from both Edinburgh Castle’s Moon Battery and Scottish round towers of the Medieval period. The tower also has a more important role in the cityscape, resolving the problem of how the building would function at the junction of five streets.
Internally, Benson & Forsyth’s design tackles the task of displaying and interpreting the museum's huge collection of objects in a coherent and understandable way, by creating a chronological journey throughout the building. Starting in the basement, in prehistoric times, the story moves up through the building, and forward through time, until you reach the roof garden, where there are views of the modern city. This progression is enhanced by the beautifully varied internal arrangement of spaces combined with openings in the building’s skin that provide glimpses of some of the city’s most important historic sites and further ties the exhibits to the nation.
Visiting The National Museum Of Scotland
The Museum of Scotland is located in the country’s capital city, Edinburgh, on Chambers Street. The museum is open daily from 10:00 – 17:00 and is free to visit.
The Museum of Scotland is certainly a spectacular space for the display of pre-eminent collection of material relating to Scotland. The building, which was awarded second place in the RIBA Stirling Prize, is an engaging addition both physically and as an institution to the city of Edinburgh. The only criticism of the building is that, like many modern museums, the strength of the architecture may actually overshadow the artifacts contained within.
Over ten years after the museum opened the undeniably modern building sit comfortably in its historic surroundings as an appropriate home for the story of Scotland to be told.
Tom Ravenscroft - Tom Ravenscroft is a freelance journalist and academic who currently resides in the UK. Though he feels particularly educated in ...
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