Greenwich’s Maritime Museum reopens in June with new exhibits after roof replaced
Work to replace the glazed central court of Greenwich’s Royal Maritime Museum is almost complete with the museum reopening on 7th June.
I’ve been covering progress for a while after the roof – installed in 1999 – saw numerous problems including leaks.
That necessitated wholesale replacement with the opportunity taken to revamp the area below.
A new colour scheme for the court is planned with a tone of ocean blue in evidence.
Alongside that new colour came a change of name as Neptune Court becomes Ocean Court.
Floor map
The museum states that a new floor map will “help address ocean blindness by refocusing perspectives away from the continents, as with the traditional Mercator map.
“Instead, the new Spilhaus Projection, or a map of the world according to fish, shows one, interconnected ocean. It will also represent the ocean depth and key features including the Mariana Trench and Great Barrier Reef.”
New objects will be installed including a fragment of the MV Sea Empress’s hull to “serve as a reminder of the impact oil spills can have on the ocean environment.
“The MV Sea Empress ran aground off Milford Haven in Wales on 15 February 1996, spilling over 70,000 tons of crude oil. It was estimated that a third of Common Scoter ducks died and the local starfish population fell by 97.5%.”
In addition the “binnacle from Greenpeace’s first ship, the Rainbow Warrior will also go on display. A binnacle holds navigational instruments on a ship.
“The Rainbow Warrior was a trawler purchased by Greenpeace in 1978 and was bombed by French agents in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985, sinking the ship ahead of a protest against nuclear testing in Moruroa.”
Former use
The central court is built on what was formerly a gymnasium.
A 2023 planning application stated that the now replaced roof was “built over the previous gymnastics yard. The gymnasium was demolished in the late 1990s when the present Neptune Court was constructed”.
The millennium was a period of great changes in Greenwich with the Millennium Dome built, the museum expanding and the University of Greenwich moving to the Old Royal Naval College.
Changes in the town continue with a £35 million project set to begin at the Royal Observatory next year. Plans for that recently went in whilst Greenwich Park has recently seen numerous changes including the restoration of “Giant Steps” or the Grand Ascent.
