Issue 38 Summer web 23 - Flipbook - Page 78
Historic Environment
Scotland unveils plans
for new Archive House
Innovative project will be an exemplar of reuse and retrofit of an existing building
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced
plans for a new state-of-the-art home for its archives.
Work is already well underway to prepare the archive for
its move, as archivists carry out the exhaustive task of
listing, documenting, location-coding and repackaging
every single one of the approximately 6 million items held
within the collections.
Archive House, an existing building in the Sherwood
Industrial Estate in Bonnyrigg, will be converted to a
world-class facility to house the organisation’s extensive
records and archives, which give a unique insight in to
over 5,000 years of Scotland’s history.
Lesley Ferguson, Head of Archives at HES, said: “This
project is the greatest opportunity our generation has had
to discover, catalogue, conserve and secure the knowledge that underpins the understanding and conservation
of Scotland’s history.
The project, which is expected to be completed by 2026,
will meet recognised standards for archive buildings and
be an exemplar of reuse and retrofit. With overall project
management by Gleeds, design by Oberlanders and with
specialist engineering input from Buro Happold, the
project aims to be the first public building to be designed
implementing the new Scottish Government Net Zero
Public Sector Building Standard. This takes into account
not only the carbon emissions of the building while in use,
but also the carbon emissions associated with the building
materials and maintenance.
“Our archives offer an unparalleled view of the nation’s
past, and this project will ensure they can be protected
for future generations. This new purpose-built space will
help us enhance and increase our conservation and
cataloguing work, while advanced environmental protections and controls will help prevent damage to our
priceless collections.
“As well as safeguarding our archive, we are excited about
the opportunity this project offers to inspire new
audiences to engage with our unique collections and to
make them more accessible than ever before.
Currently housed at John Sinclair House in Edinburgh
and other locations across central Scotland, the HES
Archive is home to the national archaeological and
architectural archive. It holds over 3,500 different collections, comprising drawings, photographs, documents,
prints and tomes stretching across 15km of shelving. The
new archive facility will enable these collections to be
protected to the highest standards.
“We understand how important it is for current users of
our archive to be aware of the project and how it might
impact them, and we will be providing regular updates as
our plans develop.”
In 2026, the existing Archive Search Room and Library,
which are open to the public, will also be move out of
John Sinclair House and into nearby Longmore House,
HES’ headquarters. This will ensure that this national
collection remains easily accessible for researchers and
members of the public. The archive handles around
12,000 direct enquiries annually, while approximately 3
million users access the archive online each year. It is
expected that with better accessibility both online and
in-person, user numbers across Scotland’s communities
and beyond will increase.
For more information, visit the HES website.
https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-andresearch/archives-and-collections/national-record-of-the-historic-environment/
Conservation & Heritage Journal
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