Wonderlab - National Railway Museum, York

Studio C102, in collaboration with Mobile Studio Architects, was among five teams shortlisted for the design of the new Wonderlab gallery at the National Railway Museum - part of the Science Musuem Group.

The competition brief was to create an interactive exhibition within the National Railway Museum's ground floor engineering workshop, forming part of the Museum's Vision 2025 masterplan.

We imagined a gallery that would instil a fascination for engineering in young visitors, through powerful interactive experiences. Our proposal was inspired by railway turntables and by Heath Robinson. Our design language focused on the mechanical and exposed the function of new mechanically operated parts, such as sliding screens, and adjustable lighting and signage rigs. The proposal aimed to create excitement and a sense of wonder about how things work, and to make Wonderlab’s architecture another element, both to experience and to learn from.

Team: Studio C102 + Mobile Studio Architects with Max Fordham

Sector: Cultural / Education | Size: 1000-2500 sqm | Budget: £2-5M

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