Gendall sheds light on life in a lighthouse for maritime museum

Gendall Design is working on an exhibition called Lighthouses: Life on the Rocks, for the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth.

The consultancy was appointed to the work at the end of August following a three-way creative pitch held earlier in the month.

The exhibition will aim to tell ‘the human story’ of lighthouse operations, according to Gendall creative director Darren Whittington.

He says, ‘When you look into the topic you get a lot of human stories, dealing with survival, safety, and coping with being locked up for three months.’

He adds that as well as being ‘graphically very strong’, the show will also feature exhibits such as a 3m-high lens, and 12cm-thick bronze doors used on a lighthouse on the Isles of Scilly.

A mock-up bedroom and kitchen will also feature in the exhibition, held in an open-plan space at the museum.

Ben Lumby, exhibitions manager at the museum, says, ‘It’s a fantastic space, and very tall, so we’re hoping to use exhibits that will draw visitors’ eyelines up.’

The show will run for up to two years, from February 2010.