Plymouth's Treasure Chest

The Box was born of a need to protect six of Plymouth’s at-risk collections and create a new cultural quarter in Southwest England. Our brief was to create a new destination for local audiences and visitors, showcase diverse collections and make sense of a complex architectural site. We were appointed from the masterplan stage to completion.

The Box welcomed over 30,000 people in the first months of opening. Visitors voiced a new sense of pride in their city, a heartwarming affirmation of the design approach.

Plymouth’s former city museum, central library and a church were linked by a new extension and public realm to create The Box. In response, to this complex site, we blurred the boundaries between space and use. Places to sit, study and socialise are located alongside historical displays and heritage stories to best serve the Box’s priority audiences and rich collections.

We carried the principle of juxtapositions into to the galleries themselves. Each one engages with Plymouth’s multifaceted history and global reach by viewing the city from different perspectives. The result is a series of bold, distinctive and witty spaces diverge from the traditional museum approach. The resulting warmth and friendliness make the Box a true city museum designed with the public at its heart.

The most striking, and technically challenging, exhibit is the flotilla of fourteen Victorian naval figureheads, suspended in the triple-height entrance hall. The result of painstaking conservation and engineering, the figureheads appear to sail across the space, poetically recalling Plymouth’s role as point of departure for so many maritime voyages.

Most striking of all is the flotilla of fourteen Victorian naval figureheads suspended overhead in the triple-height entrance hall. The result of painstaking conservation and engineering, the figureheads appear to sail across the space, poetically recalling Plymouth’s role as point of departure for many maritime voyages.

Each gallery truly takes on a life of its own. The result is a series of bold and brilliant, quirky and witty spaces. They break away from tradition to create a warm and friendly feeling – a true city museum designed with the public at its heart.