Mary Rose Museum, Portsmouth
Following the lighting of the hull in 2004, DHA Designs were appointed in 2008 to work on the lighting of the new museum. Designed by Wilkinson Eyre and Pringle Brandon, with museography by Land, the beautiful museum was to sit over the existing hull, on a dry dock on the Royal Naval base in Portsmouth. DHA Designs were appointed to undertake the museum, interior, exterior lighting and the re-display of the hull itself.
The complexity of the architecture and the fragility of the 19,000 objects displayed – all extracted from the seabed following the vessel’s sinking in 1535 – made this one of DHA Designs’ most challenging projects. The Context Gallery, which mirrors the hull to place objects appropriate to their original location; and exhibition showcases together have over 3,000 fibre optic endpoints, each adjusted by DHA Designs.
The project won multiple awards including a Lighting Design Award in 2014.
Project Credits:
Client: Mary Rose Trust
Architecture: Wilkinson Eyre
Interior Architecture: Pringle Brandon
Museography: Land Design Studio
2016 Interpretation: Real Studios
Photo Credits: Hufton+Crow