The Museum Plaza was in a derelict condition until 2012. In December 2012, the Museum opened a unique new cultural hub called the Museum Plaza which offers people a much needed green and artistic recreation space. The Museum has restored and adapted old spaces to accommodate new exhibition galleries called Special Project Space, SPS, a large open area for the performing arts as well as public sculpture, a Museum Café, a Museum Shop and an Education Centre. In the early twentieth century, the cottage housing the Special Project Space was used as a workshop for the making of Museum objects. The structure, which has a half timber construction with 25ft high ceilings, has been restored keeping the original architectural elements intact. The refurbished space has state-of-the-art lighting facilities, air-conditioning, security and safety features.