Galway City Museum

MCE were pleased to be part of the architect-led design team for the redevelopment of Galway City Museum, a landmark project that will enhance one of Galway's most important cultural attractions. We provided fire engineering, access consultancy, civil engineering and structural engineering services throughout the project development stages.

The €12 million investment will integrate the existing museum with a new three-storey extension, creating additional exhibition and visitor spaces while providing access to elevated views overlooking the iconic Spanish Arch and Galway's historic waterfront.

The works involved the creation of a number of new gallery spaces in the line of the historic city wall at Spanish Arch.  The ground floor of the extension will be suspended above the remans of the wall and medieval road allowing visitors to view the remaining archaeology.  The new building will link to Comerford House, which will be fully refurbished, and will provide new access to the top of the city wall above the Spanish Arch, offering panoramic views of the surrounding area.

The project presented a number of unique engineering challenges. The structural design was carefully developed to minimise impacts on the underlying archaeology through the use of a lightweight, bespoke structural solution incorporating steel, timber, CLT and concrete. Significant work also went into developing a fire strategy appropriate for a building located within an area vulnerable to flooding.