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Ulster Museum, National Museums Northern Ireland
Opening up the Ulster Museum has been a comprehensive, multi-faceted project representing the first substantial development of the Museum in almost forty years and making a key contribution to the cultural rejuvenation of post-conflict Northern Ireland. The project involved a major decant of some 800,000 objects to off-site storage. During the three-year closure the Museum ran an extensive outreach programme, delivered in partnership with other organisations around Northern Ireland, to maintain existing audiences and increase access to under-represented groups. This included a wide range of travelling exhibitions, lectures, classroom activities and object-handling and reminiscence sessions.
The Ulster Museum reopened to the public on 22 October 2009, exactly 80 years to the day since it first opened its doors in 1929 and in its first month saw 100,000 visitors, a huge footfall for a museum which previously averaged 200,000 visits per year. Project cost: £17.2 million, funded by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, Northern Ireland, the Heritage Lottery Fund and private grants and donations. Design team: Some of your comments: This museum has been carefully transformed into a museum which is accessible to all the community and a place which we can all be justly proud of. The building and its collection are of an international standard. The Ulster Museum is the flagship museum in Northern Ireland and the total internal re-building just completed has seen it re-born in a way that few could have predicted. This has not just been a functional re-organisation to facilitate improved exhibition areas but a re-working of the entire space in the building with dramatic effect. Into that re-worked space have been crafted novel approaches to exhibiting and curatorial innovations which have delighted the enormous numbers of people visiting since the opening in October… The recently refurbished Ulster Museum is a symbol of the progress that Northern Ireland has made in recent years. The peace process has allowed key regeneration to take place in and around Belfast, and this prize would not only add to that, but would be a key boost to N. Ireland tourism. We were visiting Northern Ireland for the first time and this was a lovely day out. I would definitely recommend them to win this prize. In a short time the Ulster Museum has transformed from an old fashioned building filled with treasures often difficult to appreciate because of restricted space and inadequate lighting. Within the last few months this has all changed and now we have a museum of international standard, new exhibits mixing with old, all on view in an airy, bright, friendly building with disabled access, restaurant/coffee shop, interactive displays, well stocked and imaginative shop and excellent well informed staff. A credit to Northern Ireland. The newly revamped Ulster Museum is just wonderful. My family and I had such a great time on our recent visit. So much to see and do and the kids loved the discovery zones! It's such a fantastic museum to visit and a great day out. It's a credit to Belfast and to Northern Ireland. I hope it wins this prize! Throughout the troubles in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Museum provided an educational haven and day-trip retreat for School children, families, the elderly and the just plain interested. I have special memories of a primary school trip to the museum during the 1970's when there were few options in terms of places to go in Belfast. In later years it became a place to take my young child and the wonderful refurbished facility is now a favourite outing for my elderly mother. The Ulster Museum is not just a museum, it is now and always has been a haven of normality and a fine example of the best things in Northern Ireland. The transformation from the old museum space to the new building is just astounding. The central atrium is fantastic, making what were once enclosed and dark spaces airy and light. The objects on display are fascinating and the new art galleries on the upper levels now make Belfast just as worthy for consideration for major touring exhibitons as any other major cities on the UK mainland. The Ulster Museum's refurbishment has been an outstanding success as reflected in the huge numbers who have visited since the re-opening. The Museum has outstanding facilities for all including families and is served by friendly and well-informed staff. The re-opened gallery started with a major exhibition of Sean Scully's work and is to follow-up with a major exhibition of its Irish art collection. This is much anticipated. The Museum has tackled the vexed question of how to deal with the 'Troubles' and has been criticised by some for not being bolder. However, I believe that it has demonstrated that this will be an evolving exhibit responsive to public input - which is a bold stance. In short the refurbished Ulster Museum is a fitting building for the 'new' Belfast and the 'new' Northern Ireland and a museum of which the citizens of Belfast are rightly proud.
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One of four sites within National Museums Northern Ireland, the Ulster Museum’s rich collections comprise fine and applied art, archaeology, history, natural sciences and world cultures.
The project has resulted in a radical reconfiguration of a listed building, providing a visually-stunning and welcoming environment as well as increased public space. History and Nature galleries have been upgraded and revitalised, whilst a new George and Angela Moore Gallery of Applied Art has been added to the existing art galleries. The Troubles Gallery sees the Museum for the first time dealing directly with Northern Ireland’s recent past and involving the public in commenting on the approach taken and potential for future development. Dedicated learning spaces have been created throughout the building, including three ‘Discovery Centres’ for art, history and nature. 
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