The buzz surrounding Wrexham and football has reached around the world. From Australia to Argentina, Canada to Cardiff and Fishguard to Finland, people know about the Hollywood takeover at Wrexham FC in the city that is the birthplace of Welsh Football.
At the heart of that city is Wrexham Museum, home to the Welsh Football Collection since 2000. While Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds were scouting for a football club to buy and familiarizing themselves with the laws of the game, the team at Wrexham Museum were working on the plans and designs for a national football museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham – a museum of two halves.
Work has continued apace following the recruitment of a Football Museum Officer in spring 2021 and then the appointment of Haley Sharpe Design and Purcell as the designers and architects for the project during the summer of that year.
The buzz grew louder when the Wales men’s team qualified for the World Cup in Qatar and the women’s team made the play-offs for the first time in their World Cup. Locally the excitement reached fever pitch when earlier this year Wrexham won the National League securing a return the Football League at the end of last season. The men’s and women’s team parade passed by the museum twice on its journey through a sea of emotional and overjoyed fans; all documented by camera crews from international TV stations and the makers of ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, a fly on the wall docu-series and tourism promotion team’s dream about the club and the city.
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The Museum of Two Halves project envisages the transformation of the current museum building through bold architectural interventions that preserve and even enhance the historic character of this 19th century landmark building. The contractor who secures the construction work for this new visitor attraction will enjoy the challenge of delivering an ambitious scheme, sure in the expectation of massive public interest, a high profile for their completed works and a visible testament to their abilities in Wales’s newest city.
The plans to create a new Football Museum for Wales and a new museum for Wrexham at the current Wrexham Museum on Regent Street, just a few minutes’ walk from the world-famous Racecourse ground, are taking another step forward this month.
On September 22nd, the project management team are providing/provided an official ‘heads-up’ for construction firms with the necessary skills and experience to work on large projects, particularly those with experience of working on historic and heritage buildings, since the museum is in a grade 2 listed building. The notice explains what will be involved construction wise in creating the new nationally styled museum in Wrexham city centre and provides details of when to visit the sell2wales website for more news for construction companies about this nationally important project.
Councillor Paul Roberts, Lead Member for Community Safety & Partnerships, added: “Our plans to create the new Football Museum and the new Wrexham Museum involve the transformation of the current museum building, while still respecting its historic architecture and character. Such work requires the involvement of a highly skilled and experienced construction company. This prior information notice is designed to ensure the construction world know that this project is coming soon and to be ready to compete for what will be a very newsworthy contract.”
Wrexham County Borough Council would like to acknowledge the support of the Welsh Government, the UK Government (UK Shared Prosperity Fund) and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Background Notes:
The introduction to the PIN (Prior Information Notice) reads as follows:
Wrexham County Borough Council are conducting market engagement for a competent supplier to complete Enabling and Shell & Core Works Package for the transformation of the Grade II Listed Wrexham Museum building and site into the new joint Football Museum for Wales and Wrexham Museum. It is desirable that the organisation also has competence in completing projects within Grade Listed buildings located in conservation areas.
Advice to construction companies:
Interested suppliers are requested to return to Sell2wales / etenderwales in early October when the PQQ notice is programmed to be uploaded.
