Housing the Science Museum’s most important and iconic artefacts, this major new gallery opened to the public in July 2000. The exhibits form a dramatic sequence of objects which chart the rise of the modern industrial world. WilkinsonEyre acted as lead designers for the project, taking responsibility for all aspects of the exhibition design.

Working with the existing architecture, removing some elements entirely and enhancing others, the vast interior space has been transformed to introduce lightness and clarity.

A pietra serena stone floor, glass cases and barriers and white concrete plinths for major objects reinforce a feeling of contemporary monumentalism and create a space similar to an art or sculpture gallery.

The arrangement of the exhibition cases, benches and a rejuvenated mezzanine walkway emphasise the linear chronology of the gallery and allow the visitor to pause and contemplate the exhibits.