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01 Oct 2024

National Museums Liverpool will create the world’s first museum dedicated to transatlantic slavery

National Museums Liverpool has received planning approval to redevelop the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum into one museum telling Britain’s maritime history and its role in the slave trade.

This £58 million project is part of a wider waterfront transformation project that aims to link storytelling, heritage, community and hospitality to be a catalyst for social and environmental improvements.

This will be the first museum in the world dedicated to the transatlantic slave trade and those whose lives have been most affected by the histories being told are playing a fundamental role in the redevelopment.

Ray Quarless, member of RESPECT Group and International Slavery Museum community champion, said: "We can now take ownership of our past and reset the course of history in the interest of future generations."

The entrance of the International Slavery Museum will be moved into the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building, (the former Dock Traffic Office). The prominent new entrance will feature an ironwork façade which expresses the journey of the museum from a gallery in the basement of the Maritime Museum to receiving recognition in its own right.

A striking iron and glass bridge will connect the re-imagined International Slavery Museum galleries in the Hartley Pavilion to the Dr Martin Luther King Jr Building and offer spectacular views into and out of the Royal Albert Dock.

At the entrance of the International Slavery Museum there will be a monumental sculpture, remembering Liverpool’s historic role in transatlantic slavery while being a beacon of hope for a more inclusive and equitable future.

New galleries for both museums will be developed – with Ralph Appelbaum Associates leading on the exhibition design – as well as shared spaces for community uses, research, learning and events. Visitor facilities will also be revitalised, including a shop, café, event space and restaurant. All of which work within National Museums Liverpool’s aspirations to decarbonise both existing buildings.

Both venues will close in early 2025 for works to begin, reopening to the public in 2028.

Kossy Nnachetta, partner and architect at Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, said: “We're excited about the designs; the engagement they encourage and the stories they tell. This project – like both museums within it – embodies a determination that our collective and shared history is expressed.”

National Museums Liverpool has worked closely with a variety of organisations, including Historic England, Merseyside Civic Society and Liverpool City Council on the development plans.

The project has received £9.9 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.