The Great North Museum

Overview

The Great North Museum is one of Newcastle's most visited attractions, a Grade II listed building held for Newcastle University. Following a fire door survey carried out by Azar, we were appointed to remediate the museum's fire doors, bringing them back to a compliant, certified standard across two connected buildings of different ages while the museum stayed open to the public.

The challenge

The work brought several constraints together at once. As a Grade II listed building, any remediation had to respect the heritage fabric and the original character of the doors. The museum spans two buildings of different ages and construction, each with its own details. And, as a busy public attraction, it had to keep running throughout, so the works were planned around visitors, exhibits and opening hours with minimal disruption.

What we did

• Started from the findings of our own fire door survey, so every defect was already identified, located and prioritised before work began.
• Remediated and upgraded the existing fire doors across both buildings, repairing and replacing components to restore certified fire performance while preserving the doors' heritage appearance.
• Carried out the more disruptive door works away from public areas, keeping galleries, exhibits and visitor routes clear.
• Documented every door and completed action, giving the museum a clear, traceable record of the remediated fire doors.

The outcome

The museum's fire doors were brought back to a compliant, certified standard across both buildings, with the heritage character of the listed fabric protected and no interruption to public opening. Backed by the survey that informed it and a full record of the works, the museum now has clear evidence that its fire doors perform as they should. The project shows our ability to carry out sensitive fire door remediation in a live, Grade II listed environment, combining strict compliance with respect for a historic building.