The Box
Wayfinding strategy and implementation for a large arts and heritage museum space in Plymouth.
The Box, is a newly refurbished building, combines old and new to create the largest arts and heritage museum space to open in the UK in 2020. Spread between the main site and, nearby, St Lukes Church this cultural destination houses a museum, galleries and archives with research and learning facilities for the University and schools.
Above all, the artwork would take precedent, any signing system should not detract from the exhibits but should still provide adequate navigation for visitors.
The refurbished museum incorporated an original Edwardian building and a modern extension, spanning multiple levels, meaning floor levels were stepped; with mezzanines and stairs connecting the North and South ends of the building. This caused vertical circulation to become confusing and impacted step-free access routing. Some walls were exposed brickwork so fixing to these would be problematic.
We took a minimal approach to signing and created a contrasting design that stood out in its environment but didn’t detract from its surroundings. As some of these signs would be fixed to uneven stone wall detailed surveying and setting out was done to ensure clear communication for installers.
Level directories were a key tool in creating a clear vertical circulation orientation.
With The Box’s commitment to maximise access for everyone there were multiple facilities that required adherence to standards. We developed a set of specific pictograms for use across website, mapping and throughout the signing system.
