Blue Engineering worked on the refurbishment of galleries at the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Grade I listed building that has been at the heart of London’s cultural landscape since the mid 19th Century. The refurbishment was part of a redesign funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
We worked with the main contractor, Coniston, to produce fabrication, temporary works and sequencing design to enable the installation of the primary steelwork that created the space for the museum’s Europe galleries. The sequencing and installation of steelwork had to take into consideration the limitations of the historic building, and delicate installations on the floors above to enable the museum to stay open throughout the works.
We also worked with Scena Productions to develop and design the display plinths, guard rails and label holders in galleries three, five and seven, as well as in the Serrily Boudoir and Italian Cabinet. Several different display plinths were installed, all of which needed to take into consideration the processes exhibits. This was a key design consideration that meant we had to ensure deflections were limited whilst providing unobstructed views of the works of art within. The architects leading the project, ZMMA, were keen to ensure we retained their minimalist design, that connections between the stanchion and holders were near invisible and that the parquet flooring was undisturbed. The result is an elegant, contemporary addition to the fabric of this historic building.
