Science Museum

Entrance and East Hall Galleries

New entrance and gallery spaces redefine orientation, illuminate the collection, and create flexible gathering spaces for exhibitions and events.
Nex were shortlisted in an invited competition to redesign the entrance spaces and East Hall gallery of their flagship museum in London.
 
Striping out out piecemeal additions that have accumulated over time, our proposals make the visitor journey more intuitive for all and reveal the austere grace of the original building.

New glazed walls and doors divide the upper entrance concourse and reconnect the spaces based around the visitor journey. 

Our proposals introduce a new curatorial concept of the Portal. Portals are a time-honoured device in science, technology and science fiction. Creating windows onto other worlds, they engage the imaginations of all ages, and appeal to our sense of wonder in imagining new possibilities.

Large portals encased in oak reveal holograms of the collection set against a seemingly infinite background of vanta black pigment. Visitors encounter these portals at key moments in their journey as both orientation points for the collection and as a focus to inspire curiosity.

Taking the East Hall back to its essentials, it becomes the central gathering place in the Museum — a platform for interaction that communicates the thrill of scientific discovery in the round. Key pieces in this space are rearranged to present the museum’s wider collection with drama and coherence.

The project was cancelled due to the impact of the CoVid-19 pandemic.

Name:
Entrance and East Hall Galleries
Client:
Science Museum
Date:
September 2020
Location:
London, UK
Status:
Competition
Budget:
£2.5m
Sector:
Culture
Expertise:
InteriorsHeritage
Team:
Alan DempseyGina ZachariasJinGyeong Ryu
Collaborators:
Structural Engineer: Webb Yates Services Engineer: Webb Yates Lighting: DHA Design