An exclusive look inside Ipswich Museum's mammoth makeover

A restoration of mammoth scale

"If you combined all the internal and external scaffolding, it would reach from here to Felixstowe," explains Andy Laflin , Managing Director of Gipping Construction , the local company tasked with the base build of this mammoth restoration project. "It took 11 weeks to put it up."

This instantly brought into focus the humungous scale of this project as we walked up several flights of steps shrouded by the vast scaffolding structure that currently cocoons the Victorian museum building.

The views are spectacular.

There is no better illustration of the sheer scale of this project than the roof, where each individual tile has been carefully removed, cleaned, and refitted.

Just think about that for a moment—every single tile.

Removing them alone filled four large skips with old mortar; workers had to move methodically around the rooftop while working on each section, and hundreds of thousands of fittings were required to secure them back in place.

Looking around, its almost surreal – a building inside a building.

A brief history

Ipswich Museum was established in the 1840s by a local industrialist with the aim of promoting public improvement, scientific study and public debate.

After moving to its current site in the 1880s, it quickly gained national recognition as a leading museum of its time.

Over generations, curators have built a collection exceeding 200,000 objects, many with outstanding national and international significance. The Grade II listed building has seen few major updates over the years, with only a new Egyptian Gallery added between 2008-2010.

The museum closed in October 2022 for this redevelopment. Originally budgeted at £8.7m, but now estimated to cost £11.4m, the project involves substantial improvements, including an additional gallery, new educational space, a café and improved shop facilities and toilets.

The transformation

The technical scope extends far beyond the visitor-facing elements.

The museum is undergoing extensive reconfiguration of interior spaces, with the erection of north and south two-storey infills, a new cantilever staircase, relocation of the plant room and insertion of a new basement to the entrance lobby. Accessibility is being significantly enhanced with the installation of a lift and new internal and external ramps, which required much of the original floor to be lifted.

Appreciating the complexity of the project

For those occasionally frustrated by delays and cost inflation, a glimpse behind the scaffolding reveals why such care and time are essential in heritage restoration, and why forecasting costs and delivery timeframes with exact precision are nigh on impossible.

"It's literally impossible to know every detail of a project of this scale until you start peeling back the layers," explains a project manager, highlighting how hidden issues inevitably emerge once work begins on historic buildings like this one.

Currently, 40 workers are on site, with more expected as the project progresses toward its 2026 reopening.

Their task is made more challenging by the site's location in a busy residential street with very restricted access. The plant, materials and main site office are located a short distance away, requiring careful coordination.

Few projects require dozens of workers to work around full-size woolly mammoths and whale skulls hung from the ceiling.

As ISO14001 accredited contractors, Gipping Construction must also complete environmental risk assessments and implement waste minimisation practices, with typically 90% of waste being recycled.

Everything about this project is complex.

The team behind it

Established in 2004 and becoming employee-owned in 2023, Gipping Construction brings significant heritage experience to the project.

The company is actively engaged with the local community, working with museum staff and Ipswich Borough Council's Communications department on various outreach initiatives, including art competitions, work experience for local schools, and displaying art by A Level students.

"We were delighted to be awarded the Ipswich Museum contract and have opportunity to work for the Council and contribute to Ipswich’s built environment heritage," said Gipping MD Andy Laflin.

"The interest we have received since beginning the project has been overwhelmingly positive and brought several opportunities to collaborate with organisations in the community," he added.

Gipping Construction

Based just outside Ipswich, Gipping Construction is an employee-owned construction company that operates in the private and public sectors across East Anglia.

A significant investment in Ipswich's culture and heritage offering, but surely a worthwhile one?

It is, without doubt, a significant investment in Ipswich's culture and heritage offering, but funding support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Friends of Ipswich Museum, and other supporters, reduces the financial burden on taxpayers.

"We are excited to see the re-opening of the museum when the fit-out is complete. The project will deliver another positive result in the regeneration of Ipswich, and we are proud to have been involved," Laflin concluded.

Later than hoped? Sure. But, when complete, this museum will stand as a testament to the craftsmanship of those who worked on it and provide a modern facility that will be enjoyed by many generations to come.