Nottinghamshire Archive Interior
Client
Nottinghamshire County CouncilProject
Nottinghamshire ArchiveThe Brief
To create an interior environment that will engage and excite. To encourage new visitors to explore the Archive and challenge their perceptions of what an archive is.The Thinking
Large scale images are carefully woven together to create a layered effect... reflecting the layers of history. Coloured blocks laid over parts of the imagery gives the mainly mono tone images a visual lift and puts the imagery in a contemporary context. Each door on the large bank of lockers in the main entrance area have been given a unique feel. Each locker has a number and a recognisable image, so visitors to the archive can either remember their locker by number or image. What could have been a large blank area has been turned into a visual asset.The Result
Large scale printed wallpapers and foamex panels combine to create a contemporary interior environment that is dynamic and has a personality unique to the archive. Imagery from across Nottinghamshire and across history reflects the archives collections. Users are invited to explore the sometimes hidden stories of ordinary people. The nature of the visually multilayered images means users are constantly seeing new things previously unseen.The Feedback
The Feedback has been extremely positive. Peter Lester (a PHD student) is writing a paper on 'exploring the use of archives as design and art in new and refurbished buildings' he is using our work at Nottinghamshire Archive to base his paper on as an excellent example of new thinking in contemporary Archives.
