Steers McGillan circles round Poole Museum identity

The waterfront museum on Poole harbour is set to unveil its transformation this weekend, with a new glass and steel atrium and contemporary displays that tell the story of Poole.

Bath-based design consultancy Steers McGillan, which was appointed following a three-way credentials pitch, has devised the branding, exhibition space and interior graphics for Poole Museum, which was designed by architect Horden Cherry Lee.

The venue’s glass atrium creates a new entrance, with a terrace on the third floor that will provide visitors with an orientation point and views across Poole and the harbour.

According to the museum manager Michael Spender, ‘We have given the museum a very strong brand. It is a historic quayside warehouse and feels a bit like a ship. It is bent and twisted, so it works in a different way to other museums and the design provides a very clean and modern way of presenting displays and graphics.’

Steers McGillan was tasked with telling the story of Poole Museum, which is dedicated to Poole’s history.

‘A very strong point of the design is accessibility,’ says Steers McGillan director Richard McGillan. We tried to maintain the quality and integrity of the extension while making it accessible to children. We have built the identity on circles. The two ‘O’s from the word Poole have been cut out to reveal things from behind, like windows.’