- Retail & Hospitality
Manchester Museum
Creating an inspiring ‘think space’ within one of the region’s most loved museums
In collaboration with Ben Kelly Design, this project rejuvenates a forgotten space within the Grade II listed Alfred Waterhouse building as ‘The Study’. An innovative interaction space that invites the public to use the collections, tools, and resources to research their own interests or discover new ones.
Key facts
Client: The University of Manchester
Status: Complete
Location: Manchester
Services provided:
- Lead Designer
- Principal Designer CDM
- Contract Administrator
- Interior Design
- Architect
- Technical Delivery
About the project
The entire top floor created a ‘think space’ that incorporated design elements of the original features revitalising a underutilised space, adding a whole new layer of experience at the Museum for both new and returning visitors. It also ensured while the museum displayed history that the relationship with visitors wasn’t one dimensional, with the new space providing the opportunity for avid historians, students, schools, and anyone else that took an interest in one of the exhibits at the museum to utilise the museums resources to dive deeper into what captures their interest.
Due to the historic nature of the listed building this required careful material selection that integrated with the historic fabric of the building, ensuring the extension was architecturally sympathetic. When it came to the design and layout of the floor the exposed nature provided ease of access to the surrounding exhibits as well as not impeding the central atrium.
The relocation and protection of 18,000 museum objects during construction phase added a layer of complexity to the project but we overcame this through our close working partnership with our client.
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