Over a two-year period, we worked closely with all departments at the National Maritime Museum to deliver an interpretation masterplan for Neptune Court, bringing the atrium in this popular museum up to contemporary world-class standards of accessibility and legibility.

Neptune Court has always been a showcase for the museum’s key large exhibits, including the ornate, gilded Prince Frederick’s Barge. This is now joined by a number of new displays including a dramatic 10-metre high display of ships’ figureheads. Instead of standing in splendid isolation, we placed these artefacts firmly within the museum’s narrative, with new interpretation linking them to the relevant permanent exhibitions and the overarching themes – including naval history, exploration, technology and leisure. Yvonne Golds, project design lead, calls them, “stepping stones into the master narratives”.