
National Portrait Gallery
Europe

Wayfinding for a museum where curiosity is the organising principle
Wellcome Collection is one of London’s most distinctive cultural institutions, exploring the connections between medicine, life and art, attracting over 550,000 visitors a year. In 2015 it reopened following an expansion that brought two new galleries, the restored Reading Room, and a new spiral staircase into public use, significantly increasing the complexity of navigation across the building. The wayfinding strategy for the expanded collection, enhances navigation while reflecting the transparency and rigour of the Wellcome identity.

A system built on the grid
The design develops grid-based modules that express the Wellcome brand three-dimensionally, producing signage products that integrate with both the new and existing architectural finishes across the building. Changeable information was migrated entirely to digital entrance screens, protecting the longevity of the fixed wayfinding elements and reducing the need for physical updates. The signs themselves are robust and recyclable and distinguished from marketing material through the consistent use of neutral colours. The scheme was shortlisted for an IIID Award for Wayshowing.


