Image: A rendering of plans for Leith Custom House © RMA & SHBT
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust said the digital-only museum “fuses the principles of a civic museum with the innovation of a contemporary digital art gallery.”
New plans revealed today for Leith Custom House, a Georgian building in Edinburgh, include the introduction of what is being called Scotland’s first ‘fully digital museum’.
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust unveiled the proposal for the regeneration of the building, which includes a hybrid-use space incorporating the museum and its all-digital displays.
Eight dedicated exhibition rooms on the first floor will exclusively use video walls, listening booths, screens and projectors to display digital content including historic documents and 3D object scans, photography, oral history archives, film, animation and digital contemporary art.
The organisation said the all-digital offer allows for a “a limitless range of exhibitions co-curated by community groups, guest curators, specialists and even members of the public.”
Below the planned museum on the ground floor is planned community-creative studios, events and conference space available for hire.
The plans go on display at Leith Custom House from today, Friday 23rd August until Friday 6th September.
Director of Scottish Historic Buildings Trust Dr Samuel Gallacher said the digital-only museum “fuses the principles of a civic museum with the innovation of a contemporary digital art gallery.”
“This concept promises a world-leading approach to providing a venue suitable for telling the stories of long ago, empowering people to tell their own stories today, as well as showcasing Leith and Scotland’s outstanding digital creative sector.
“We have worked with the community to develop the vision for the future of the building and are delighted to share our next steps for the project publicly through a programme of events aimed at widening participation.”
