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Building on success

The main building work is now more than half way through its 116 week programme and is running on time and on budget.

Passers-by on Chambers Street in recent months may have encountered trucks shuttling back and forth from the site as they removed more than 5500 cubic metres of soil to lower the floor level to meet the pavement level. The former stores have been opened up to create a stunning new Arrivals Hall, and new openings have been formed in the Grand Gallery floor. It is now possible to see the wonderful atrium rooflight from the pavement level of the building – providing a view never seen before.

Previously unknown Victorian arches have been uncovered and opened up to give lovely vistas between the Chambers Street and Lothian Street ends of the building.  And the new special exhibition space has now been created by installing floors in former atrium galleries.

In order to redecorate the roof structure, a huge scaffolding structure was erected in the Grand Gallery. This work was completed at the end of January and the scaffolding, which will take four weeks to re-build, will move into the east wing atrium gallery space. There is so much going on that there are around 150 people working on the site at any one time.

To find out more about the building work, download the latest Royal Museum Project newsletter here.