Aberdeen Art Gallery
Aberdeen City Council
At the heart of the reimagined Aberdeen Art Gallery is the concept of ‘Inspiring Art and Music’, reflecting the project ambition to develop a gallery where its exceptional treasures – and the stories they tell – are celebrated and shared through experiential design, accessible exhibitions, and new ways of engaging with visitors. Today Aberdeen Art Gallery is a place for everyone, delivering major new exhibition and education spaces (with 1,080 artworks on display compared with only 370 prior to the redevelopment) together with greatly improved visitor facilities, wayfinding and accessibility.
We were responsible for the interpretation and redesign of 19 exhibition galleries, together with the digital and signage strategies. Drawing on visitor research, the new displays were created with multi-generational audiences in mind and explore artists’ inspiration, creative processes and materials. A wide range of artforms and media, hands-on interactives, music, innovative display methods and engaging interpretation combine to create experiences, moods and stories for visitors. We have improved access, enjoyment and understanding of the collections through a range of interactives, family trails and sensory material.
Digital technology is integrated throughout including the four-metre wide Collections Wall which enables visitors to explore over 5,000 objects and influence future displays. Responding to the brief to encourage young people to the Art Gallery, we designed the innovative +music system with 500 curated tracks which visitors can listen to in each of the galleries, adding richness and diversity to their experience.