Size Really Does Matter!

As part of a £23.75m re-development project to provide visitors with an enhanced museum experience, James Latham recently supplied a number of Moralt 54mm FireSmoke door blanks which have been used in the radical transformation of the National Army Museum in Chelsea.
 
International architectural practice BDP - who were commissioned to carry out a complete upgrade of the existing museum – specified the door blanks, appointing the main contractors Gilbert-Ash, who in turn appointed Essential Designs, Doors & Joinery of Castle Dawson in Belfast to carry out the internal joinery work.
 
Steven Dennard, Group door manager for James Latham explained, “As you would expect, within the specification, there were a number of fire safety requirements to be considered. Large areas of glass characterise this modern building, enhancing the high ceilings and spacious exhibition rooms and these required correspondingly large internal fire doors.
 
“Moralt’s Laminesse FireSmoke 54mm door cores proved to be the perfect solution offering the architect the ability to attain the requirement of high and wide double doors which were also fire rated to 60 minutes. “   
 
The museum was officially re-opened in March 2017 by Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh and has been transformed into five bright thematic galleries - Soldier, Army, Battle, Society and Insight - that provide a space to explore and discuss the British Army and its relevance to society from fashion and films to flood defences and conflict.
 
The refurbishment, which took three years to complete and included £11.5 million from The National Lottery, has also given the museum a front door directly on to the road and it hopes the changes will increase visitor numbers from the 247,000 before it closed to 340,000 a year.
 
Ends
 

 

Note to Editors:

The National Army Museum

The National Army Museum is the leading authority on the history of the British Army. Founded in 1960 by Royal Charter and established for the purpose of collecting, preserving and exhibiting objects and records relating to the Land Forces of the British Crown it is a museum that moves, inspires, challenges, educates and entertains. The Museum seeks to tell the story of the British Army, the personal experiences of the soldiers who have served in it and to connect the British public and its army demonstrating how the role of the army and its actions are still relevant today.