November 29 2024

Peterhead is poised to become a seat of culture for Aberdeenshire with the reveal of plans to extend the historic Arbuthnot house into a museum and library.

Collective Architecture is leading plans for the Museum of Aberdeenshire and Peterhead Library, heralded by regional leaders as a showcase of the people, stories and artefacts that underpin a shared north-east heritage.

Located in the heart of the town centre and embedded within a walled garden, to be transformed into a new sheltered public space, the project will transform the lower end of Broad Street into a showcase for Aberdeenshire’s extensive heritage collections and artwork. Incorporating a mix of permanent and temporary exhibition space the museum will also serve as a function venue and include interactive exhibits covering music, the Doric dialect and historic films as well as workshop spaces for group learning.

Collective Architecture director Ewan Imrie said: "Our extension design aims to create a landmark that will draw both locals and visitors to Peterhead, celebrating the unique identity and heritage of Aberdeenshire. This will be achieved with sensitivity to the remarkable pink granite townscape of Peterhead, providing stimulus for further regeneration. Together, these elements will establish a family-friendly, inclusive place for everyone to come together.”

Galleries will span the ground floor of Arbuthnot House, extending to the upper floors of a new extension, allowing many more artefacts to be placed on permanent display. The library meanwhile will be positioned on the ground floor of the extension alongside a cafe, with open access to a sunken garden reading area. A rooftop restaurant rounds off the attraction as a cultural and culinary destination.

The development forms part of a successful £20m bid to the UK government's Levelling Up fund that includes the renovation and extension of Macduff Marine Aquarium. These plans will see the Carnegie Building, home to the existing museum & library, restored as an accessible cultural space with an external operator. 

4 Comments

#1 Posted by TheFakeArchitect on 29 Nov 2024 at 09:56 AM

This looks fantastic and a big improvement on the initial concept design. Just slightly surprised that there's no use of natural stone in the proposals.

#2 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 29 Nov 2024 at 11:36 AM

Loving the language and the ambition if not the "Dance for Westminster" funding vibe.

There is also the privatisation angle as well -- the existing existing library and museum now to be turned into "an accessible cultural space with an external operator".

Looks as if BoJo was covering as many bases as he could with his small change investment in the North East.

#3 Posted by Mark on 29 Nov 2024 at 22:31 PM

#1 - Given the reluctance to support Scottish quarrying, when you spec silver granite for an Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire project, it means either using salvaged stone or more likely, imports from China.

On a general note, I'm not convinced by the token crowsteps - either do them boldly, or not at all.

#4 Posted by Local loon on 1 Dec 2024 at 19:58 PM

On dear. No demand for this so when it closes a few years after opening what will come of it? Doesn't sustainability also mean not building nonsense?

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