Science Museum Event Space
RCKa’s shortlisted entry for the Science Museum Event Space in Kensington proposed a clever repurposing of the existing fourth floor gallery spaces high above Exhibition Road.
Peeling back the skin of the existing structure to create a long south-facing gallery which acts as a principal circulation zone allows access to a series of flexible spaces deeper within the floorplate. Guests arriving via lift from the main lobby at ground floor emerge to dramatic views across the rooftops of South Kensington.
Exploiting this prominent elevated position, the new glazed gallery space features a living hydroponic wall, providing screening from the sun but also a striking and unexpected softness against the hard surfaces of the flexible event spaces beyond.
Spanning two upper levels of the Science Museum, the proposed gallery allowed easy access to the main event spaces on each floor, allowing the separation of these into smaller spaces for different types of events and ensuring that they could be used simultaneously by different groups, maximising the potential for rental income. The upper gallery would enjoy views across the skyline, with high levels of natural light, the lower level, with limited access to daylight, suitable for product launches and fashion shows.
The proposals were conceived as a neutral “infrastructure” for events to take place, an idea which has permeated through much of our work but which is most evident in the design of TNG Youth & Community Centre.