Gallery layout | Bespoke furniture design

Apsley House was originally built by Robert Adam and extensively re-modelled in the 1820s for the first Duke of Wellington. Whilst the Iron Duke is remembered for his successful military campaigns, it is evident that he will also be remembered for his fine collection of Dutch and Flemish Masterpieces.

We were invited to help in the creation of a public exhibition of a selection of these paintings, for an impressive re-hang in the Piccadilly Room. Dr Teresa Posada Kubissa, formerly Head of the Department of Dutch Painting at the Prado in Madrid, curated the collection. The overall design of the exhibition was guided by Dr Olivia Fryman, the Keeper of the Wellington Collection, who asked us to advise on the layout of the Piccadilly Room and the placement of graphic communications and interpretation media.

Our challenge was in how to present information on two tiers of paintings, without the option of fixing wall-mounted interpretation panels through the bespoke linen wallpaper. Once it was established that floor standing options were required, we set about designing a sloping caption rail in the form of an elegant console table with tapering legs. Initially we considered this to be a half-depth table with a demountable construction so that the caption stands could be stored on site and used in future exhibitions. After trialing a mock-up prototype, we decided that constructing fixed, stronger structures would be preferable.

With each iteration, our exhibition contractor gave feedback which allowed us to develop a design solution that was both elegantly robust and cost-effective. Another consideration while liaising with the graphic designer was to ensure that the interpretation cards would be legible on a dark grey background, given the subdued lighting of the room. A combination of reflective white text on the cards picking up a little light spill from the picture lights worked perfectly.

The Wellington Collection - Paintings

The Wellington Collection - Robes