About the Client.
National Museums Liverpool, comprises of several museums and art galleries in and around Liverpool, UK. All the museums and galleries in the group have free admission. The museum is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Institutions that form part of the National Museums Liverpool include: World Museum, Walker Art Gallery, Merseyside Maritime Museum, The Piermaster’s House, The Border Force National Museum, International Slavery Museum, Lady Lever Art Gallery, Sudley House, Museum of Liverpool and the National Conservation Centre.
The Requirement
During 2023 the Museum Group had a need to expand the picture racking within its dedicated storage area. The Museum already had several banks of pull-out picture racking, and it required a solution to both complement this and maximise further space within its warehouse.
A tender was issued in August 2023 with Rackline awarded the contract in September. This award was based on the teams extensive experience and reputation within the museums and heritage sector. Rackline’s team undertook an audit of the space and any potential issues, and recommended a solution in the form of its lateral picture racking.
The Solution
The installation that appeared at first glance to be a simple to undertake, was actually far more complex. There were issues with the conditions of the installation space and the building in which the racking was to be installed.
Potential for Flooding and Uneven Floor: The concrete floor in the chosen location had a substantial slope, plus the building was considered high risk for flooding. To ensure that the picture racking was both level and kept away from the high risk zone, Rackline lifted the racking and created an infill floor. This was constructed using waterproof, composite batons combined with marine plywood. The Rackline team also sealed the concrete floor, and surrounding areas to prevent water ingress.
Access for loading machinery: As the racking was to be loaded by the Museums specialist loader, a strong ramp was constructed to ensure that the loader could gain access. This was fitted with safety rails, to stop the machinery, or individuals falling.
Height and instability: The art racking was substantially taller than a typical installation (panels were 4.2m tall) and this brought with it inherent instability. The design team constructed an anti-tip rail. which allows the panels, even when top heavy, to be moved safely. In addition the picture racking was fitted with stops to ensure it could work freely without any risk of colliding with pipework and other obstructions.
In total Rackline provided 7 banks of its time-tested lateral picture racking, with huge panels (8200mm(l) by 4200mm(h)) providing 482m2 of hanging space.
Picture Racking Gallery
The Result
The Nation Museums Liverpool now enjoys far more storage for its hung artworks. These are kept in ideal conditions, away from contaminants and light to prevent deterioration. The mobile nature of the picture racking means that they gain the maximum from the space they have whilst retaining easy access for individuals and their machinery.
Find Out More
To find out more about our solutions for Museums, or more specifically our artwork solutions, take a look here, drop us a call on: 01782 770144 or fill in the form below and one of our team will come back to you with more information.