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attraCtiOns & museums


Bannockburn visitor centre contract awarded


peTe HAyMAn


York-based exhibition design company Bright White has been chosen to design and create the £5m visitor experience at the historic Battle of Bannockburn site. Chris Walker, managing director of


Bright White, told Leisure Opportunities that the design is currently a closely- guarded secret but added that it will be “like nothing seen or heard before” in the UK. Te centre – due to open in 2014 – is


being developed in partnership by Historic Scotland and the National Trust.


OPLC in Orbit operator search ToM WALkeR


The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has launched a formal expres- sions of interest process for operating the Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond-designed ArcelorMittal Orbit. Located between the


Olympic Stadium and the Aquatics Centre, the sculpture won the competition to create an accessible piece of art for the Olympic Park. It will be operated as a visitor attraction both during the 2012 Games and in legacy mode. Te £22.8m, 114m (374ſt)-tall sculpture will


Te new attraction is to be sited adjacent to London’s Olympic Stadium


have two observation floors and the chosen operator will be expected to run the venue and be responsible for ticketing, marketing, events, hospitality and catering on behalf of OPLC. It is hoped the venue will attract up to one million visitors in its first year, generating


Bromley Museum is set to undergo an overhaul


Bromley Council to bid for museum Lottery funding


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Bromley Council has agreed to submit a first stage application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) as part of efforts to finance an expansion of Bromley Museum. Te submission will include plans for the


extension of visitor facilities into the empty Orpington library building and repairs to the current Grade II*-listed building. Redevelopment proposals also include


the improvement of exhibition spaces for local artefacts and the expansion of the attraction’s learning facilities.


Record numbers for Historic Scotland sites


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Historic Scotland has announced that its attractions had their ‘best season on record’ aſter welcoming more than 2.4 million visi- tors between 1 April and 30 September. Te agency, which manages sites includ-


ing Edinburgh, Stirling and Urquhart Castles, saw visitor numbers for September increase 12 per cent on the previous year. Culture minister Fiona Hyslop said:


“Tese figures are particularly impressive given the widespread impact on the tour- ism industry of the ash cloud in April.”


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around £10m in revenue through ticket sales, catering, merchandise and private functions. OPLC is expected to appoint an operator by


June, with the aim of managing the fit out of the venue. Te company, which will be respon- sible for the Olympic Park in legacy mode, aims to secure a 10-year operating contract.


Wrexham ‘landmark’ tower plans deferred peTe HAyMAn


Plans for a new 64m (208ſt) Welsh dragon landmark on a site between Llangollen and Wrexham have been deferred by local councillors. Businessman Simon


Wingett is behind the Waking Te Dragon scheme, which also incorporates a 2,150sq m (23,142sq ſt) cultural centre and landscaped gardens. Te 23.5m (77.1ſt) dragon


sculpture will be situated on top of a 41.5m (136.2ſt) con- crete tower, which will feature a public viewing platform. A planning application was submitted to the


Te planned attraction is designed to act as a ‘gateway’ to North Wales According to a Wrexham Council spokes-


local authority in July last year, although coun- cillors have deferred a decision on the project to obtain more information regarding the proj- ect’s business case and traffic issues.


person, planning officials are now set to meet with the applicant in order to resolve outstand- ing issues. Te proposals could then go back before councillors as early as next month.


Malcolm Fraser Architects to lead Lews Castle team peTe HAyMAn


Edinburgh-based Malcolm Fraser Architects is to lead a design team for the Lews Castle and Museum nan Eilean project near Stornoway. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar - Western Isles Council is behind the proposals for the historic


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital


site, which is also being earmarked to incor- porate a new ‘hospitality venue’. Simpson and Brown Architects will also


be involved with the scheme, which is to receive funding from both the council and the Heritage Lottery Fund.


Twitter: @leisureopps © CYBERTREK 2011


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