![The Basement](https://benkellydesign.com/media/_/BANNER-Final_0VGc77x.jpg.2400x800_q90_crop_upscale.jpg)
Given the brief of making ‘a Haçienda for kids’ which would feel more like a club than a classroom, BKD master-planned three galleries, a multifunctional space, a shop and a toilet block in the basement of London’s Science Museum. The key to the project was the introduction of ‘terraces’, a device for processing a number of school parties simultaneously. Children can enjoy talks and performances, eat lunch, and relax, whilst accompanying adults oversee the activities from raised seating. BKD turned the building itself into a site for investigation, cutting various-height holes through walls and floors to reveal structure, energy systems and recycling processes. Bold graphic devices were used to appeal to children of all ages, and a trail of giant ‘discarded objects’ inlaid into the lino flooring by artist Tim Head provided the space with another layer of interest.
Client | National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) |
Location | London |
Date | 1995 |
Awards | D&AD Silver Award, Environmental Design Category For the Most Outstanding Non-Retail Interior Design Council Award in recognition of D&AD Silver Award Winner - Public and Reception, FX The Sit95 Seating in Practice Awards |
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