The National Army Museum was purpose-built to house the extensive collections of the British Army. Designed by William Holford and constructed in the 1970s, it had an imposing and closed Brutalist facade, offering no glimpse of the internal life of the Museum.
Whilst at Building Design Partnership Verity led a multi-disciplinary team to dramatically transform the existing building. The refurbishment proposals for the National Army Museum open up the building and the collection to wider audiences.
The design includes a radical re-organisation of the interior with an atrium space that cuts from front to back, visually and physically linking all areas and opening up views into and out of the Museum. The proposals also include reviving the public realm and the entrance to the building, creating a stronger identity within the streetscape.
Significant enhancements to existing accommodation include the creation of a large reception and entrance foyer, a new café, retail and cloakroom facilities, together with a suite of dedicated educational spaces. The environmental performance of the building has been substantially upgraded to improve energy efficiency and reduce running costs, together with facilitating future maintenance.
Status: Completed 2017
Awards: Civic Trust Awards Commendation 2018; Selwyn Goldsmith Award 2018 for exemplar project with excellent universal design principles