We worked closely with Birmingham University’s Lapworth Museum

to masterplan the £2.5m redevelopment of its world-class collection of over 250,000 objects in order to enrich and expand its audiences from academics and students to families and visitors of all kinds.

Within the Grade II listed Aston Webb building, restored and refurbished by Associated Architects, we developed and designed three ‘state of the art’ new galleries along three core themes – Evolution of Life, Active Earth, and Mineral Wealth. We used layered narratives to reveal the connections between collections, while our overarching theme of ‘Learning and Discovery’ brings a tool kit of basic facts as well the personal stories of those who have advanced understanding in the field.

​

Our design strategy was to create impact via a series of bold visual statements, and then draw visitors in close through tactile and interactive elements. A dedicated education space, as well as improved visitor facilities – a shop, welcome desk and cafe – were also part of the scheme, which was shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2017.

​