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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Carla Talbot

Paisley building firm 'proud' to play a part in £45m museum restoration

A Paisley-based construction firm has told of its pride in providing scaffolding for the multi-million pound renovation of the town’s museum – Scotland's largest ever cultural heritage project.

JR Scaffold Services, a division of The JR Group, has erected a significant scaffold structure around one of Paisley’s most well-known cultural landmarks as the Grade A listed building undergoes a major renovation project.

As the main scaffold supplier on the project, this is a key project for JR Scaffold Services to be involved with, as the museum is being transformed as part of Renfrewshire Council’s £100 million investment in local cultural venues.

The museum is expected to receive a full and complete renovation including the Grade A observatory dome to the rear which was Scotland’s first when it was created in 1883.

The works also include new roofs to all areas, stone works/replacement to the façade, new glazing to multiple skylights and a steel frame extension.

The Sandyford Road business, which is one of the country’s largest scaffolding suppliers, has erected many different types of scaffold for this major reimagining project, to meet the meet various requirements of the job.

Paisley Museum is being restored (JR Group)

There are many edge protection scaffolds to the perimeter of all roofs; independent wall scaffolds to the external façade; internal birdcage scaffolds; cantilever scaffolds, and bespoke scaffolds designed by an expert engineer to allow it to hold extremely heavy loads and also create lifting points for heavy stone replacement.

Working on behalf of main contractor, Keir Construction, the scaffold project started in July 2021 and the kits will continue be present onsite until the summer of 2024.

The Paisley Free Public Library and Museum opened to the public in 1871, funded by Sir Peter Coats, and designed by architect John Honeyman. It’s a place of huge public interest and the works are designed to protect its national significance long into the future.

John Jack, contract manager for JR Scaffold Services, who has been managing the project since it first began in 2021, said: “We are incredibly proud to be playing our part in the restoration of Paisley Museum – it is an incredibly complex job with many many parts to it, but our expertise, lends itself perfectly to the intricacies of it.

“We have many diverse types of scaffold around different parts of the building to allow for very important works to take place and bespoke pieces built by the expert team, to ensure heavy loaded stone works can be facilitated.

“Vital repair works have now begun and when completed will breathe new life into the landmark and help breathe new life into the museum and safeguard its future.”

JR Scaffold Services Ltd has created innovative design structures to support some of Scotland’s most iconic buildings including the University of Glasgow, The Hamilton Mausoleum, The Hunterian Museum and Dounreay Nuclear Power Plant.

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