What?

• The Guildhall is the centrepiece of Boston's new Cultural Quarter. The building work has conserved the building, which is now fitted out with new visitor displays and interactive presentations that encourage people to discover the secrets of the building for themselves. The building has many stories to tell through interactive, audio and virtual reality exhibitions

When?

• Work began on site in February 2006 and took a year to complete
• The building was then left to dry out and stabilise before new visitor displays could be installed and the building re-opened to the public on 21 March 2008

How?

• Structural problems throughout the 1990s saw the Guildhall close in 2001. Recognising its cultural importance, Boston Borough Council set up the conservation project in order to develop the Guildhall into a modern visitor attraction based on the many stories it has to tell about the history of Boston
• Following an appraisal in 1997 a project team was assembled and funding sought towards the repair of the building
• Consultation with local residents began from the outset of the project Meetings were held to discuss the detailed planning of the conservation and re-interpretation. Focus groups helped to refine the design proposals. This included asking people with disabilities for input to ensure access for all
• The Guildhall is fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), and a disabled lift was installed with the support of English Heritage. This is a considerable achievement in a Grade 1 listed 600 year old building

Summary

• The project has created four full time jobs so far, and indirectly secured a further 12
• The Guildhall has now been put forward for the RICS National Awards to take place in October 2008