An historic Aberdeen building could be brought back to life as a museum, celebrating the lives of famous city residents, after councillors approved a £1.875million refurbishment yesterday.
The council’s finance committee agreed to spend £1.5million on the A-listed Provost Skene’s House, with Marischal Square developer Muse contributing £375,000.
The historic building will showcase the talents of local people – from Annie Lennox and Denis Law to Lord Byron and Archibald Simpson.
Around £1million will be spent on the design and fitting out of the new “interpretation centre”, which will include digital, interactive and audio features, alongside more traditional museum displays.
The remaining £500,000 will go on building works.
The premises were closed to allow for the construction of the Marischal Square office complex with both scheduled to open in July next year.
Finance convener Willie Young claimed the new museum would provide a “culture boost” for the city centre.
He said: “This £1.5m investment from the council will help preserve Provost Skene’s House and its magnificent interior for generations to come, while creating an even bigger draw for residents and visitors.
“The exhibition has the potential to become a tremendous education resource and would service a number of Masterplan objectives, not least positioning Aberdeen as a city of global significance and influence.
“Provost Skene was himself a world-beater and his home gives us the platform to celebrate the wealth of talent that has existed and thrived in this part of the world, and continues to do so.”
A report for committee said: “Currently, visitors with children to historic houses comprise only 13% of the audience, a relatively small proportion.
“The market research indicates a strong desire for a family-friendly experience within the redeveloped house.
Dating back to 1545, Provost Skene’s House is named after one of Aberdeen’s most famous residents, Lord Provost George Skene, who is thought to have commissioned the iconic carved plaster ceilings.
The SNP’s finance spokesman Graham Dickson responded: “Obviously, this is a crown jewel of the city and we need to make sure we do this right.”
