V&A Museum

Following the completion of the Exhibition Road Quarter at the V&A Museum London, Ambient Studio were approached to design and deliver a new exhibition hanging system to provide the museum with the flexibility and capacity for installing hung artwork, installations, exhibition displays and signage.

Given the historic and prestigious context of the V&A Museum, and considering the hugely successful contemporary architecture of the new Exhibition Road Quarter, it was imperative that the new hanging system would require minimal intrusive installation works and would remain discreet in and out of use, thus having minimal visual impact once installed.

The proposed design includes threaded sockets, powder coated to match the host ceilings, installed in key positions within areas identified within the museum for art and signage installations. Coupled with hanging cables and sliding tracks, the ceiling socket points provide huge degrees of flexibility for hanging simple signage or complex, three dimensional objects. When not in use, socket points are plugged to remain barely visible.

In easily accessed locations, fixing points can be operated with manual works taking place. In less accessible spaces, for example over large atrium voids, hidden motorised pulley systems are installed within the ceiling to allow frames to be lowered to ground for safe workmanship, before being raised back up to their intended position.

The new hanging systems are designed to help the museum raise awareness for ongoing public exhibitions and offer opportunities for specific art installations.