Níall McLaughlin
Architects

FAITH MUSEUM - GUBBIO PRIZE 2024

NOVEMBER 2024

The Auckland Castle, Tower and Faith Museum received an Honourable Mention in the European Category of the Gubbio Prize 2024.

The jury praised the project “For its capacity to enrich the village through a new configuration of public spaces and through the insertion of a sophisticated and bold contemporary architecture, which integrates harmoniously into the historical context without falling into mere mimicry”.

The Gubbio Prize is Italy's most prestigious award for projects undertaken within sensitive historic and heritage settings. The prize is awarded every three years by the National Association of Historic-Artistic Centers ANCSA.

The project was a collaboration between Niall McLaughlin Architects and Purcell. Associate Anne Schroell travelled to Gubbio to receive the award and present the project.

Further information about the event is available here.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM PROGRESS

MARCH 2017

Below are some from the Natural History Museum site showing the scaffold ‘tunnel’ going up at the Museum. This is the framework required to lift, manipulate, and move the blue whale skull into position in a few weeks.

Though the main hall has had a sperm whale in it before, this was only around 15m long. In contrast, the blue whale, the largest known animal to have ever existed, is about 30m long once assembled.

Unfortunately, due to the various extensions and alterations to the Museum over time, the skull can only come in via the front doors. And – much like a very large, very heavy, very valuable sofa – it’s a case of squeezing it in at strange angles.