Focus, a leading expert in heritage project management, is celebrating the opening of The Faith Museum, the newest addition to The Auckland Project in County Durham.
The museum, a place where history and faith converge, reflects on 6,000 years of human faith and endeavour in Britain and is made possible through the support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Jerusalem Trust, and the Kirby Laing Foundation. The Faith Museum provides visitors with an opportunity to explore how faith has influenced the lives of individuals and communities in Britain.
With offices in Nottingham, London, and Leicester, Focus provided project management, cost management, and contract administration services for this remarkable project, managing resources, budgets, risks, quality assurance, and stakeholder communication throughout. Using wide-ranging services, Focus worked closely with the client to ensure the project’s success while adhering to financial and contractual requirements.
“It’s been an honour to have been working with the truly transformational Auckland Project over the last four years, and to see this piece of the puzzle come to fruition is terrific – it brings world class displays to this former mining town,” said Eleanor Clarke, Partner at Focus.
The Faith Museum is situated across the historic Grade I listed Scotland Wing of Auckland Castle and a new purpose-built extension designed by Níall McLaughlin Architects, constructed using Cop Crag sandstone local to the North East. The museum comprises four engaging gallery spaces across two floors that take visitors on a unique exploration of British history.
The Faith Museum proudly displays over 250 objects on loan from 50 lenders across England, Scotland, and Wales. Among these artifacts there are rarely seen items, national treasures and personal mementos each with a unique story to tell, shown alongside contemporary works by British artists. With rotating displays and temporary exhibitions, there will always be something new to discover.
Clare Baron, Head of Exhibitions at The Auckland Project, said: “This project would not have been possible without the professional services of Focus Consultants. Eleanor Clarke has been at our side throughout every stage of the process – from developing the design brief through to practical completion – supporting the project team to deliver on time and on budget. Her knowledge and experience has been invaluable.”
Focus is a leading consultant in the heritage sector having worked with many of the UK’s major museums, on both refurbishments and exhibitions, undertaking a range of roles including project management, quantity surveyor and contract administrator, working collaboratively with the client team, designers and contractors to deliver projects to both budget and schedule. As well as working on The Spanish Gallery and Auckland Castle, both part of the wider Auckland Project, Focus has been privileged to have worked on prestigious projects such as The Amelia, Brooklands Clubhouse, Discover Bucks and exhibitions at V&A, V&A Dundee and Natural History Museum.
Focus is a multi-disciplinary company offering a range of services across different sectors. Focus divides its services into three key divisions – Create, Deliver and Assess – and offers funding, business planning and economic development through the Create division, and quantity surveying, project management and building surveying through the Deliver department. The firm’s Assess team advises on sustainable buildings, building physics, compliance and planning, and on-site testing.
