V&A Museum, Medieval & Renaissance Gallery
Interpreting treasures from a defining moment in European civilisation
A comprehensive and inclusive interpretation and wayfinding scheme that integrates sympathetically with existing gallery fabric and materiality
The V&A’s Medieval & Renaissance Galleries marked the completion of the first phase of the Museum’s £120 million Future Plan transformation. The project comprises ten new galleries, occupying the entire south-east wing of the Museum. Together, they display 1,800 objects from the V&A’s collection of Medieval and Renaissance treasures. Holmes Wood were responsible for all graphic and interpretative design and wayfinding. Inclusivity was key, and working closely with the V&A’s Learning and Access teams we developed interpretation that catered for a range of audience groups. This process included evaluation sessions with focus groups using proposed interpretation techniques and text hierarchies. Our design concept was based on early book design, an era that reflects the dates for many of the exhibits. By using a combination of apposite materials, including traditional gold leaf and glass, we were able to achieve an inclusive and sympathetically integrated graphic solution.
Client: V&A Museum
Architect: McInnes Usher McKnight Architects (Muma)
