National Waterfront Museum
Encyclopedia
The National Waterfront Museum, Swansea or NWMS is a museum
situated in Swansea
, Wales
, forming part of the National Museum Wales
. It is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
.
Consisting of a major new slate
and glass
building integrated with an existing Grade II listed warehouse
(formerly the Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum), the new museum deals with Wales' history of industrial revolution
and innovation
by combining significant historical
artifacts with modern technologies, such as interactive touchscreen
s and multimedia
presentation systems. Building and exhibition design was carried out by Wilkinson Eyre
and Land Design Studio respectively, and Davis Langdon
was project manager
for the construction.
Much effort has been put into accessibility
for the new museum, and is one of the first museums in the United Kingdom
to feature multilingual voiceovers, as well as British Sign Language
captioning on all interactive content. http://www.heritage365.com/articles/tech-the-digital-revolution-national-waterfront-museum-swansea.asp
The museum, which secured funding from the Welsh Development Agency
and the Heritage Lottery Fund
(among others) was opened in October 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4350366.stm
The collections on display include maritime, transport, technology and retail artefacts.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
situated in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, forming part of the National Museum Wales
National Museum Wales
Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, formerly the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, comprises eight museums in Wales:* National Museum Cardiff* St Fagans: National History Museum, Cardiff* Big Pit National Coal Museum, Blaenavon...
. It is an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage
European Route of Industrial Heritage
The European Route of Industrial Heritage is a network of the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe. The aim of the project is to create interest for the common European Heritage of the Industrialisation and its remains...
.
Consisting of a major new slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
and glass
Glass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
building integrated with an existing Grade II listed warehouse
Warehouse
A warehouse is a commercial building for storage of goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial areas of cities and towns. They usually have loading docks to load and unload...
(formerly the Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum), the new museum deals with Wales' history of industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and innovation
Innovation
Innovation is the creation of better or more effective products, processes, technologies, or ideas that are accepted by markets, governments, and society...
by combining significant historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
artifacts with modern technologies, such as interactive touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
s and multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
presentation systems. Building and exhibition design was carried out by Wilkinson Eyre
Wilkinson Eyre
Wilkinson Eyre Architects is an international architecture firm based in London, England. The firm won the Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize two years in a row...
and Land Design Studio respectively, and Davis Langdon
Davis Langdon
Davis Langdon an AECOM company, is a construction consultancy firm headquartered in London, UK with 30 offices throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East, and over 100 worldwide. The firm has a turnover of £154 million throughout Europe and the Middle East and £580 million globally...
was project manager
Project manager
A project manager is a professional in the field of project management. Project managers can have the responsibility of the planning, execution, and closing of any project, typically relating to construction industry, architecture, computer networking, telecommunications or software...
for the construction.
Much effort has been put into accessibility
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
for the new museum, and is one of the first museums in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to feature multilingual voiceovers, as well as British Sign Language
British Sign Language
British Sign Language is the sign language used in the United Kingdom , and is the first or preferred language of some deaf people in the UK; there are 125,000 deaf adults in the UK who use BSL plus an estimated 20,000 children. The language makes use of space and involves movement of the hands,...
captioning on all interactive content. http://www.heritage365.com/articles/tech-the-digital-revolution-national-waterfront-museum-swansea.asp
The museum, which secured funding from the Welsh Development Agency
Welsh Development Agency
The Welsh Development Agency was a QUANGO and later an Assembly Sponsored Public Body established in 1976 to encourage business development and investment in Wales, to clear derelict land and to encourage growth of local businesses...
and the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
(among others) was opened in October 2005. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/4350366.stm
The collections on display include maritime, transport, technology and retail artefacts.