Christchurch Mansion Consolidation Project

Tender description

Christchurch Mansion is wholly owned by Ipswich Borough Council. The Mansion is a listed building that houses fine art including Constables and Gainsboroughs, plus artefacts that are linked or are common to the area. The Mansion is situated in Christchurch Park which attracts a number of major events including concerts, outdoor film screenings and an annual fireworks display. Christchurch Mansion is a brick and timber framed Tudor mansion. It has substantial original historic panelled interiors and room settings coupled with museum displays. It forms the principal display and storage areas for IBC’s decorative art, fine art and furniture collections. In addition there is a two-storey brick extension on the rear consisting of a salvaged Tudor building, added to the mansion in the 1920s and a purpose built art gallery added in the 1930s. The Christchurch Mansion is in general need of improvement and repair. Over the years, some repair works have been carried out, but now the Mansion is showing signs of deterioration. There is now a need to bring the Mansion up to a good standard and level of comfort to allow visitors to enjoy the museum as the principle replacement to the Ipswich Museum whilst it is being re-developed and shut to the public from summer of 2017 through to the summer of 2019.