026 REPORTER
Below, top The interior of the Harris Free Library, Museum and Art Gallery building rotunda in Preston, England
Below, bottom RAA is currently developing Battersea Power Station’s Chimney Lift visitor attraction in one of the building’s famous chimneys
Right The World of
Stonehenge exhibition at the British Museum running from 17 February until 17 July
In a way, the timing was fortuitous, with
a wave of lottery-funded projects around the turn of the millennium providing opportunities for designers in the cultural field. Work for the Transport Museum in Covent Garden and the Royal Albert Museum in Exeter followed along with several plum jobs ahead of London 2012, for which RAA designed visitor interpretation in the Olympic Park, and the ‘Oculus: An Eye Into St. Paul’s Cathedral’ exhibition in the crypt of the cathedral in 2010, which used advanced projection technology to offer an immersive visitor experience of the cathedral’s history. The World of Stonehenge, which opened at the British Museum in February, is an atmospheric experience that makes stirring use of lighting and soundscapes to take visitors back to the time of the stones. The evocative show follows on from the RAA-designed Troy exhibition of 2019. ‘I’m a dreamer. I like projects that take you to another place,’ says Tefft. He says the practice particularly enjoys social history subjects with contentious aspects, and using its interpretative and design
skills to understand human behaviour and how that shapes world events. A case in point is the Second World War galleries, completed by RAA last year at the Imperial War Museum, which used the stories of individual participants to engage with the visitor and tell a truly global story. ‘We’re not afraid of dificult subject matter.
We like that there’s no simple answer to why people do what they do,’ says Tefft, adding that the practice enjoys projects that encourage counterpoint interpretations rather than more authoritarian museological approaches. This is made easier, he says, by technological innovations, which allows the presentation of multiple views that are easily navigable by the visitor, and which allows visitors to have their own voice. Museums should, he says, be places of dialogue and of changing perceptions. The London ofice currently has 17
ongoing projects, with 80% of RAA’s work being museums, with the rest branding and visitor experience. Tefft feels that working across these two sectors is mutually beneficial for both RAA and its clients. ‘We learn from both experiences and
maybe our clients benefit from both sectors,’ Tefft explains. ‘It helps us focus our museum clients on clearly communicating their brand identities, and that’s helpful.’ In both cases, it can be about forming an emotional connection with the visitor, something that he says is at the core of RAA’s approach when designing. ‘Ralph [Appelbaum] has always said, and I’ve always agreed with him, that the best way to help people learn is to touch them emotionally,’ he says. In RAA’s work with Lavazza, the Italian coffee brand, the strands of exhibition and branding work have come together. RAA drew on the family origins, heritage and values of the brand in its design of a visitor attraction at Lavazza’s headquarters in Turin, Italy. This was followed by a further visitor experience at the Settimo Torinese factory, where Lavazza produces its 1895 brand. And, last year, RAA opened a flagship presence in London, which combines a shop, café, tasting experience and restaurant. The central bar/servery is inspired by the shape of a coffee bean and made using compressed coffee grounds, while above it a chandelier of golden beans creates a central focal point, and graphics inspired by the Lavazza heritage adorn the walls. The company is working on further flagships in major European cities and other global opportunities. In county Cork, Ireland, RAA is redesigning the distillery visitor experience for Midleton Distillery, home to whisky brands such as Jameson. But perhaps the most spectacular of its current project is at Battersea Power
Station in south-west London, where the company is working on a Chimney Lift visitor attraction in one of the building’s famous chimneys. Due to open this summer, the project includes interactive displays telling the story of the building’s role generating power for London as well as offering a sound and light experience in the circular lift journey up to the viewing platform. Looking ahead, Tefft is excited about how designers can help museums develop exhibition content that offers greater equity, inclusion and diversity. In particular, he is galvanised by what
RIGHT AND ABOVE: RAA
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