Timespan is a museum and cultural institution supporting a diverse range of initiatives, and serves as a vital cultural hub for its rural and remote community on Scotland’s north east coast.

While rooted in the local, Timespan addresses global issues through a holistic approach spanning arts, heritage, digital technologies, education, wellbeing and community building. The organisation engages with 20,000 individuals in person each year, and reaches an online global audience of over 100,000 people. 

Timespan is currently housed in a former herring curing yard, in the heart of the village beside the River Helmsdale. The 600m2 site now requires significant updates to deliver Timespan’s development objectives, and address its commitment to achieve net zero by 2035.

The proposed redevelopment encompasses Timespan’s café, gallery, workshops, storage and museums spaces, and is intended to deliver a more coherent built presence and better facilities for visitors and staff, with a focus on local materials and character, while also reducing the organisation’s environmental impact. 

The six-month feasibility study for Timespan’s building will produce a report detailing designs and costs to RIBA Stage 1. It is being procured via a two-stage process, with the deadline for submissions of expressions of interest on 21 October 2024.

RIAS Consultancy will invite a shortlist of four practices or collaborative teams to visit the site and submit a tender, with an anticipated deadline for responses of early December.

Travel and other reasonable expenses will be paid to shortlisted practices and teams. The successful practice or team will receive approximately £30,000 for the preparation of the feasibility study.

More details about the invitation for expressions of interest, criteria for applicants and further information regarding the tender process are available here. 

Tamsie Thomson, chief executive of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, said: “Timespan punches above its weight: it is a vital cultural presence for scattered communities in north-east Scotland, and an organisation that is unafraid to tackle big issues and speak to a global audience.

“We are delighted to be working with Timespan on the redevelopment of its site in Helmsdale – harnessing the talent of architects and designers to fulfil its cultural potential, expand its audiences and meet its environmental commitments. This is an exciting opportunity for architects and designers, and we are looking forward to seeing some equally exciting responses.”

Giulia Gregnanin, director/curator of Timespan, said: “We are thrilled to launch the next phase of Timespan’s redevelopment. Our aim is to holistically rethink the space we inhabit, exploring how it can unlock our potential as an institution of the commons—a space where people and communities come together to drive meaningful action. We envision a new building that reflects our local, national, and planetary ambitions to serve as a catalyst for change.”