eye opener
Young V&A London, UK Studio ZNA worked alongside the creative team led by Exhibition and Visitor Experience Designers - AOC (Agents of Change Architects) to re-energise and create captivating spaces for the ambitious refurbishment of the Young V&A, formerly Museum of Childhood. After a meticulous process that began in 2019, the project showcases a stunning transformation, redesigned around children, young people, schools, and families. A primary objective for Studio ZNA was to establish a stronger connection between the museum’s interior and the natural daylight outside, allowing the central space “town square” to be rendered in natural light whilst allowing objects to be displayed adhering to conservation light level requirements. To achieve this, the team suggested implementing vibrant diffused ambient lighting in open 088 / 089
sections, complemented by focused areas of high contrast. In areas where the protection of objects was paramount, Studio ZNA with AOC, introduced false ceilings and canopied showcases, creating captivating, illuminated scenography. Studio ZNA has extensive experience in theatre lighting and was well placed to creatively support the narrative journeys through the three new galleries Imagine, Play and Design. ‘Imagine’ is home to a theatre space that has been created for performance and storytelling events. It also enables fantastic interactions with objects and Studio ZNA designed a series of lit scenes to support the activities and provide a flexible, creative, magical space for the museum. ‘Play’ is a sensory immersive world of light, colour texture and