Lifeboat Museum - The Mo

The project involved extending the museum and constructing an exhibition area. Prior to the commencement of the project, an existing structure – a masonry tower – was present on the site and the presence of an Anglian Water principal substation beneath the structure was the cause of significant complications throughout.

At every stage of the project and during the pre-planning stages, we sought to utilise the tower in the development plans. This process involved extensive consultation with Anglian Water, its agents and the original designers. The feasibility works that were undertaken led to the Trust obtaining funding for the project.

The project’s Contractor installed a steel frame adjacent to and in conjunction with the existing structure. However, the real show-piece of this development is the viewing tower. This required careful engineering judgement and planning, together with a highly sensitive construction method. The viewing tower was designed utilising the tower structure together with new steelwork to form an integral composite form.

Many other issues were addressed throughout the design and construction stage. The flat roof deck was designed as a composite SIPS panel supported by a grillage of steelwork, while the West elevation incorporated part of the steel frame and required co-ordination with the original retaining wall and the boundary wall to a neighbouring public house.