Revamped museum is hailed as new symbol of a nation

IT is a new symbol – expressed in tonnes of gleaming Caithness Rosetta Stone Store , in 8000 objects and 16 new galleries – of Scotland, the “restless nation”. The new 47.4 million National Museum of Scotland, which opens free to the public on Friday, is not only a store of world-class exhibits from mummies and dinosaurs to the first colour TV but a defining moment in the re-affirmation of the Scottish identity , its organisers believe.National Museums Scotland (NMS), who have produced the revamp of former Royal Museum on time and on budget, hope more than 1.1 million visitors will pass through its new, ground-level doors in Edinburgh’s Chambers Street in its first year.The project, with architectural design from Gareth Hoskins and leading exhibition designer Ralph Appelbaum, has been funded by 17.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund, 16m from the Scottish Government and 13.6m from private sources.The Grand Gallery of the Victorian A-listed building has had many anachronistic additions to its frame removed in the revamp, and is now closer to the original design of Captain Francis Fowke, the Royal Engineer who also designed the Albert Hall in London. Scotland has always looked outwards, what we have here is the physical manifestation of that internationalism With its much-loved fish pond now removed, the spacious central hall is filled with several large exhibits such as a drinking bowl for 300 people from the Cook Islands and its distinctive bird-cage design, now home to a new balcony cafe and information centres, acts as an elegant central space and axis to the museum’s new galleries.New interactive displays are in operation, and contemporary art and new purchases are displayed alongside objects such as classical pottery, Assyrian relics, John Logie Baird’s televisor, a skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex and Nakhla, a meteorite from Mars.More than 80% of the objects on display are being shown to the public for the first time.Dr Gordon Rintoul, director of NMS, said the new displays, which cover world cultures, the natural world, art and industry, ancient Egypt, the east and Scotland, are as much a biography of Scottish internationalism as a display of objects to educate and Rosetta Stone Cheap inform.He said: I think the whole contents of the museum is symbol of the great Scottish tradition of inventing things, going off around the world and bringing things back. Scotland has always been a country that has looked outwards, and I think what we have here is the physical manifestation of that, the internationalism of the nation. I think Scots have always been a bit restless: Intellectually restless, restless in a geographical sense, in terms of wanting to be an entrepreneur, in wanting to seek their fortunes in other lands. Mr Rintoul said that in effect the project has created an entirely new museum within a restored and beautiful Victorian building. It’s on time and on budget, and we did that by closely managing the budget, with the right systems, processes and people, and you don’t make changes that you should not be making, you stick to the plan, he said.The key new additions to the museum are 16 new galleries, the revamped Grand Gallery, a gallery to host visiting exhibitions, a new learning centre and lecture hall, and the new street-level, stone-vaulted entrance hall, which is also home to a shop and visitor facilities.Mr Rintoul also said that, despite budget restraints, entry to the museum would remain free. We believe the national museum should be free to everyone, and we are sure the Government will share that vision, he said.The new museum in figures1mm Smallest object on display at less than 1mm is a flake of gold panned from a river in Scotland.11.3m Height of the tallest object a totem pole, carved in 1855, from British Columbia, Canada.4.5bn years Age of the oldest object an Allende meteorite.1.2m Distance the floor has been lowered in the entrance hall.2.7 tonnes Weight of the Assyrian relief in the Discoveries gallery.6 miles Amount of bubble wrap used to pack the objects in transit.20,000 Objects on display across all 36 galleries in the National Museum.1m Number of Rosetta Stone Italian V3 objects moved from Chambers Street to store in Granton.18m Height of the Window on the World, largest single museum installation in the UK.150 years Since foundation stone of the building was laid by the Prince Consort.National Museum of Scotland: tour the world under one roof National Museum of Scotland: the key galleries National Museum of Scotland: meet architect Gareth Hoskins National Museum of Scotland: Alan Taylor's verdict.