A new museum in a historic building with community at its heart.

Museum of Oxford completed 2021, permanent gallery. NHLF funding. Architecture by Purcells. Photography by Philip Durrant. Grade II listed building.

The museum offers permanent galleries, interactive experiences, learning spaces, and new retail and welcome areas. The project has created a new cultural hub with a strong focus on local social histories, with active learning and participation at its core.

The bespoke exhibition structures were derived from the architectural proportions of the windows. The colour palette strikes a balance between the formality of the town hall and a renewed playfulness. Graphic patterns referenced objects on display, gallery layouts focused on creating comfortable and easy-to-navigate spaces.

Showcases were designed for flexibility. Labels on magnetic strips and a clear graphic style guide allow future updates to be easily typeset and printed by the museum. Each showcase had an external pocket for updatable content from community projects, which allowed other voices to take space in the galleries.

An updatable display structure enables temporary exhibitions to become part of the fabric of the wider museum. The pegboard wall, digital media provision and showcases sit aesthetically with the rest of the gallery design, integrating community perspectives within the wider displays.

The Museum Makers space offers schools and community groups direct access to historic objects, with opportunities to handle artifacts and co-create exhibitions. We designed visible storage and open display solutions, for a robust, open and welcoming atmosphere.