REVIEW: M Shed Bristol
It’s two years late and cost a staggering £27 million. So as the M Shed finally opens its doors to the public, what kind of museum have we been left with? In this case, a museum has finally been created that the whole of Bristol deserves.
The visitor attraction, standing on the site of the former industrial museum, lights up a really interesting, yet under utilised area of the city’s docks.
Princes Wharf is also home to the ss Great Britain, harbour side railway, four electric cranes, the Fairbairn steam crane, boats moored alongside the docks and Brunel’s Buttery.
Now, the entire area has turned into a showcase for our industrial past and city’s history.
The museum design fell to LAB Architecture Studios, who have created a fantastic layout coping with large visitor numbers.
There is plenty of pram space, wheelchair access and well thought out toilets for everybody.
There are three galleries to the museum – Bristol People, Bristol Places and Bristol Life.
The collection takes the lives of ordinary everyday people and turns them into something extraordinary all adding to the colourful history of one of Britain’s best cities.
The museum is very visual, with plenty of interaction between exhibits and multimedia.
It is a living, physical version of Reece Winston’s photography, with a dynamic collection that can be added to as time goes by.
Not quite so practical for the thousands of visitors arriving for the opening weekend, but great fun for when things quieten down is the aerial photograph of Bristol on the floor.
All Bristol communities are represented with information, photographs and objects.
Great exhibits children will love is the Anderson air raid shelter, the green Lodekka bus, floor aerial photo and working steam trains.
It seems almost impossible that something this good has been created in Bristol, especially with our city council involved.
Wait until the busy opening period has quietened down and see it for yourself.
Free entry