National Portrait Gallery: Wayfinding
Providing seamless journeys for visitors
A timeless wayfinding scheme that responds to the listed architecture and collections
National Portrait Gallery’s major renovation Inspiring People sought to make the collections and buildings more accessible and engaging to visitors. Architectural transformations of new buildings and connected vistas were supported by an understated scheme from Holmes Wood that responded to architectural cues and improve the overall flow and experience.
Holmes Wood’s design scheme encourages the artwork to take centre stage and takes inspiration from Carlo Scarpa’s Easel. The Scarpa-inspired fixings are made in patinated brass to mimic architectural finishes, while the wayfinding panels are made from PaperStone, a sustainable material constructed from recycled paper. All contribute to delivering a timeless design that is functional, accessible and discrete.
Client: National Portrait Gallery
Architect: Jamie Fobert Architects
Heritage Architect: Purcell
