The Museum and Art Gallery is located on the edge of the picturesque Pennine village of Uppermill, in Saddleworth. Its mission is to inspire and foster interest in the history of Saddleworth through the display and interpretation of its collections. The Art Gallery also acts as a multi-purpose community resource, used by a range of charities and local groups.
In this first phase project, the building has been upgraded, re-configured, re-fitted and extended – in order to address some of its inherent shortcomings
As well as repairs to the existing fabric, the M+E services have been replaced and a lift and ramps introduced in order to make the building fully accessible.
Two small extensions are incorporated: firstly a new frontage has been added in order to provide views into the exhibition from the High Street and to act as a landmark at the point of arrival into the village; secondly a new entrance has been formed (which includes new toilet facilities) to make it more visible and welcoming.
Throughout, the new elements draw inspiration from the essence of the existing building and its context, whilst at the same time expressing a point of change in the evolution of the museum.