National Museum Cardiff closes its doors suddenly ‘until further notice’

The National Museum Cardiff has closed its doors suddenly “until further notice” due to health and safety concerns.

The museum is undergoing “immediate” maintenance work, after a decision was made to safeguard the wellbeing of staff, visitors and the preservation of its collections following health and safety concerns being raised.

In a statement released by the National Museum Cardiff, the works were described as “top priority” with its team “working diligently” to address and identify issues in order to make the necessary repairs.

The statement continues by saying: “The safety and well-being of our visitors, staff, and the preservation of our collections will always remain our top priority which is why we have taken this short-term measure to close the museum.

“While this closure is necessary to ensure that the building meets all safety standards, we recognise the impact this may have on our visitors, volunteers and the community.”

The museum added: “We will continue to assess the situation and provide updates on our progress but are hopeful that these issues will be addressed over the next few days. We sincerely appreciate the understanding and support of our visitors and look forward to welcoming you back soon.”

However, it has been revealed that ticket holders were given no notice that their bookings would be affected by this sudden closure when they arrived at the museum on Sunday.

Speaking with Wales Online, one visitor said: “The National Museum in Cardiff has suddenly closed, due to concerns over safety and building maintenance. Bit annoying as I had bought a ticket yesterday for an exhibition; perhaps they should have emailed ticket holders to warn them.

Most Read

Retiring, religion and legal troubles: The Buffy cast members we probably won’t see back

Guys! A FOURTH Islander has quit Love Island All Stars and this is so messy

‘He’s next on the hit list!’: Bonnie Blue says she will steal huge pop star’s BF for OnlyFans

“Been sitting on the steps outside for 10 minutes or so and quite a few people are walking up to the doors, reading the sign saying it’s closed, then walking away disappointed.”

Last year, it was reported how major flooding had impacted the museum with staff on call to protect and potentially move valuable artwork. It was also previously revealed that on nights when heavy rain is forecast, staff remain on call to remove important pieces from the walls to prevent damage.

The chief executive of Amgueddfa Cymru, Jane Richardson told the Senedd’s culture committee that she was “really worried” about works by artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh.

Ms Richardson added: “When we are expecting a storm or heavy rain, we have to put the staff on standby so they can come into the building in the middle of the night to take paintings off the wall. I’m not exaggerating there, that is what our staff do. We never, ever compromise the safety of the works…but that is the reality of my colleagues’ working life at the moment.”

Featured image credit: Google Maps