A university module designing for a live brief set by Casson Mann. The task was to design the concept for part of a permanent museum to appear in Blackpool Winter Gardens celebrating the heritage and history of the town. At the conclusion of this project, every student presented their designs to Gary Shelley from Casson Mann, on the merit of my design and presentation I won a 5 week placement with the company.
Presented through a scale model, technical drawings, hand sketches and photoshop illustrations, my design emphasises the importance Blackpool had to the lives of people who used to holiday there. Visitors enter the museum through a sensory tunnel recreating the conditions of the Lancashire cotton mills and then step into the bright, lively promenade area. This represents the experiences of the cotton mill workers who would visit Blackpool in the wakes week holidays.
The concept of my design focuses on personal stories. Each visitor would have an individual experience of the museum as they follow a narrative of a particular character through the different areas in a treasure hunt style. This narrative would lead the visitor on a particular journey, encouraging engagement throughout their visit and allowing them to build a personal connection with their given character to gain an understanding of the cultural importance of Blackpool.
My design for A Museum for Blackpool incorporates lighting, projection and atmospheric manipulation. Lively, interactive elements, multi-sensory areas and performance creates an exhilarating, family friendly, experiential exhibition celebrating Blackpool in its heyday and the personal accounts of its holiday makers and residents.