Harris project seeks contractor for £2m fit-out

The £14m plan to revitalise The Harris in Preston city centre is set to reach the fit-out stage and the council is now seeking a contractor for the job.

Preston City Council is inviting interested companies to express interest for the role. The £2m contract will be subject to a two-stage traditional tender.

The overall Harris Your Place project will make the Grade I-listed Harris the UK’s first blended museum, art gallery and library and make the building more accessible to welcome an additional 100,000 visitors per year.

Within the building, the ground floor will tell the story of the Harris itself, the first floor will exhibit Preston and its people, and the second floor will explore Preston's place in the wider world.

Visitor engagement will be promoted by a blend of high-tech and low-tech platforms, including a digital offer, but also being a space to ‘log off’ and enjoy authentic, hands-on experiences wherever possible. There will be many opportunities for hands-on engagement.

Phillip Tefft, director of RAA London, said: "The Harris occupies an astonishing building at the heart of Preston's community. The vision for the reimagined Harris creates a new kind of place and our new designs break down traditional typological distinctions, combining extraordinary and diverse collections in new and unexpected ways, revealing fresh stories, stimulating visitors to think differently, experiment and participate.

"Together with the community and creative partners, we are creating a destination that is a far cry from a traditional museum, library or gallery: a place that is dynamic and continually renewed by visitors, celebrates creativity and puts Preston squarely on the cultural map.”

More details about the tender can be found here.