Ocean Court, National Maritime Museum

The project involved the essential replacement and refurbishment of the 25-year-old roof over Ocean Court within the constraints of a live listed building. Its complexity was heightened by the need to protect more than 23,000 sq ft of exposed museum space during the works, with important objects and artefacts remaining in situ. Surrounding galleries also had to stay open throughout, requiring careful planning to manage risk, protect the visitor experience and maintain the museum’s day-to-day operations.

G&T provided Cost Management and Project Management services, helping to coordinate the complex roof refurbishment alongside major mechanical, electrical and public health upgrades. A full scaffolding structure was erected across the museum space to form a crash deck and waterproofing layer while the works progressed. We helped manage the cost, programme and delivery requirements around three key strategies: acoustic treatment to the underside of the glazed roof, improved glazing performance to reduce solar gain and upgrades to the existing cooling systems.

The project has improved the performance and comfort of Ocean Court while allowing the museum to remain operational during the works. Acoustic performance exceeded modelled expectations, significantly improving speech intelligibility, while the upgraded glazing reduced solar heat gain and enhanced thermal performance. The refurbished cooling system now provides lower supply air temperatures, creating a more comfortable environment. G&T’s Cost Management and Project Management input helped keep design, procurement and sequencing decisions aligned with budget, programme, quality and operational requirements.