Conservation work on the historic ship the Cutty Sark, which was badly damaged in a fire last year, will now be finished following a £3.3m donation from shipping magnate Sammy Ofer.
The gift means that the Cutty Sark Trust has almost reached its project target of £35m. The Trust had already raised £31m with £23m awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and £8m in donations.
The 139-year-old clipper is now set to open in March 2010. The ship will be suspended 10ft above the bottom of the dry dock in Greenwich, to allow visitors to walk under the 963-ton vessel.
The trust plans to name the new gallery space beneath the ship the Sammy Ofer Gallery. "The new area will contain animation and soundscapes," said a spokesman for the Cutty Sark Trust. "We were inspired by the interactive elements of the Cabinet War Rooms."
The gift means that the Cutty Sark Trust has almost reached its project target of £35m. The Trust had already raised £31m with £23m awarded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and £8m in donations.
The 139-year-old clipper is now set to open in March 2010. The ship will be suspended 10ft above the bottom of the dry dock in Greenwich, to allow visitors to walk under the 963-ton vessel.
The trust plans to name the new gallery space beneath the ship the Sammy Ofer Gallery. "The new area will contain animation and soundscapes," said a spokesman for the Cutty Sark Trust. "We were inspired by the interactive elements of the Cabinet War Rooms."