Heritage Meets Clarity: Sypro at the National Maritime Museum

Sypro supported Willmott Dixon with contract management to refurbish the roof of Ocean Court, the largest indoor space at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. Using our contract management platform, we enabled precise, transparent contract administration throughout the project – helping to minimise disruption to this landmark heritage site and its public visitors.

• Early warnings: 62
• Compensation events: 46
• Instructions: 37

Project scope and conservation goals

Ocean Court is a light-filled, covered central courtyard that serves as the main public thoroughfare and gathering space within the National Maritime Museum. It links major galleries, exhibition spaces and amenities, playing a vital role in the visitor experience.

The project predominantly involved the careful refurbishment of the existing glazed roof structure, which had begun showing signs of deterioration after being in place for 25 years. Surveying and replacing 23,000 feet of roof glazing units, the project aimed to preserve the architectural integrity of the space, prevent overheating during the summer months, enhance acoustics and ensure the safety and comfort of visitors and staff.

Due to the Grade I-listed status of the museum buildings and the live public setting, all works had to be planned with minimal visual and physical impact, including a strong focus on health and safety and visitor flow management.

End-to-end contract management in a live heritage environment

Sypro’s NEC contract management system proved essential in maintaining tight programme control, contract clarity and communication among stakeholders, enabling 219 communications between six clients and six contractors. The refurbishment needed to work around a live operational schedule, with key public areas remaining open throughout.

Sypro allowed for:

• Streamlined instruction and communication tracking
• Real-time updates on approvals and actions
• Accurate record-keeping for conservation compliance
• Transparent financial oversight in line with the museum’s public funding requirements

Working closely with Willmott Dixon and the Royal Museums Greenwich estates team, our platform helped ensure the works were delivered on time, safely, and in harmony with the museum’s historic setting.

Craig Bromley, Project Manager at Willmott Dixon, said: “Delivering works within one of London’s most iconic cultural landmarks is never straightforward – but with Sypro’s platform, we had complete visibility and control from start to finish. It gave our team the confidence to make timely decisions, keep stakeholders aligned, and maintain absolute respect for the live, heritage environment we were working in.”