The science museum approached BAT Studio to design their first store outside the museum, a Christmas pop-up shop, after seeing previous published work by the studio. As highlighted by their past portfolio, BAT Studio has an interest in utilising unexpected materials to create unique and innovative projects.
A key part of BAT Studio’s concept for the Science Museum Store design was using colour and repetition, to create surfaces with texture and depth that references sweetshops and pharmacies. To achieve this, 4,000 test tubes filled with coloured water form screens which line walls and highlight focal points in the shops interior. Framing displays of chemistry sets and other science themed toys, both the decoration and the content of the shop complement each other creating a colourful and playful space.
A second key aspect of the store’s design was to utilise materials which could be considered as ubiquitous components in the science of modern buildings but which are rarely elevated to be used for their aesthetics. Galvanised steel channel and cable tray carry the services throughout modern spaces. Although sometimes left exposed, the flexibility of the material offers much potential away from their designed purposes which is rarely explored. BAT Studio has a long running interest in appropriating materials and technologies into spaces in innovative ways and having used galvanised channel before where keen to further explore and refine its potential. Shelves are formed by cable tray, suspended from galvanised channel by threaded bar, to reference how cable tray is usually installed in ceiling and services voids. The flexible material is also used in vertical orientation to provide peg boards, construct tables and the till counter.
BAT Studio is an architectural design studio founded by David Di Duca and Jonty Craig in 2012. Combining architecture and interaction design, the studio works in a variety of sectors ranging between buildings, retail interiors, temporary experiential installations and exhibition design.
www.batstudio.co.uk
info@batstudio.co.uk
@BATStudio
Credits:
Client: Science Museum Group
Designers: BAT Studio
Fit out installation: BAT Studio
Photography: Andy Matthews
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