One of our recent commercial architecture projects involved designing the new Dana Research Centre and Library as part of the Science Museum’s major new redevelopment plan, which will also feature new galleries designed by distinctive architects including the late Zaha Hadid.
The Library houses over half a million science and engineering documents which can be accessed by researchers, staff and the general public, and the requirements were for us to create a contemporary, distinctive building which provides optimum conditions for study and research. Our design has been featured in The Times this month, and is the first part of the campus redevelopment to be completed.
Lighting is one of the most significant features of our design. The Library takes up the ground and first floors of the museum’s Wellcome Wolfson Building, located in South Kensington. The two floors feature complete full-length windows which make up the entire length of the building. The window of the upper floor is covered by a screen with thousands of small holes, filtering the sunlight through to create a dappled lighting effect inside the building.
Our intention was to evoke the feeling of sitting underneath spreading branches on a sunny day, inspired by the story of Isaac Newton’s discovery of gravity while watching apples fall from a tree. Our hope is that our design will help to inspire contemplation and deep thought for library users who are coming up with their own great ideas. Besides its unique lighting effect, the double-height canopy also serves to filter sound and views from the outside world, helping to create a contained space for concentration and immersion in knowledge.
The feeling of a warm, natural, organic setting is enhanced further by the timber-lined walls, desks and shelves, while the addition of a mezzanine level provides essential extra space for a common area while keeping the overall layout open and inviting. We believe that by balancing natural elements with a contemporary approach, we have created a space that’s perfect for the needs of its users and fulfils the ethos of the Science Museum: to inspire learning, development and research to aid further scientific discoveries.