Eureka! Science + Discovery Centre, Wirral

Aegis was appointed by its client Eureka! The National Children’s Museum to provide building and mechanical and electrical (M&E) clerk of works services to the first phase of its new £11.4 million visitor attraction being developed on the Wirral waterfront.

Eureka! is the only fully interactive museum totally dedicated to children aged 0 – 11 in the UK.  The existing museum, located in Halifax, was designed, informed and guided by children, created in a child-friendly way and designed to be 100% interactive with no complex instructions or “do not touch” signs. 

A prime site for a second Eureka! visitor attraction was identified on the Wirral at Seacombe ferry terminal, directly linked to Liverpool’s Pier Head by the Mersey Ferries and easily accessed by road and rail. The site was occupied by Spaceport, a small visitor attraction created by Merseytravel in 2005. But after visitor numbers declined, Merseytravel was keen to explore alternative options for the site, which capitalised on the investment already made into the buildings and supported the increasing focus on the visitor economy/leisure market, as set out in Mersey Ferries’ long-term strategy.

The aim of the new Eureka! Science + Discovery Centre Mersey project was to inspire children, young people and their families to explore dynamic science, technology, engineering, arts and maths themes through hands-on experimentation and discovery. The facility would provide 2,700m2 of high-quality interactive environments along with makerspaces, a shop and a café.  An estimated 187,000 people were expected to visit the museum annually, including 12,000 school children, creating between 90 and 160 jobs directly and indirectly.

Working with principal contractor Seddon Construction Ltd, Aegis’ team provided clerk of works services to the first phase of the project, which involved the refurbishment of the ferry terminal buildings to provide a shell and core for the museum itself.  Aegis had slightly less involvement in the second phase, mainly on the M&E side, which saw the fit out of the exhibitions.

For more information on how Aegis can add value to your project and make it a success, get in touch with our team today.