Creating the new museum
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Imagine the time and effort involved in moving home - then magnify that a few hundred times. This will give an idea of what an enormous task the creation of the new Museum in a Grade II-listed building has been.
Staff and contractors moved hundreds of objects of varying sizes and portability - from cap badges to a steam locomotive. They were carefully packed, and moved out of the Museum to safe storage in the Museum Depot at Acton. The removal of so many unique, and in some cases fragile or extremely heavy objects, without damaging a single item was a remarkable achievement.
Two years on, we are moving them all back to the main Museum site, along with over 1000 additional items. They will be displayed in new galleries that will tell the story of public transport and the development of London over the last 200 years. All modes of transport will be covered - walking, cycling, taxis and river transport as well as buses, trams and the Underground.
Our aim has been to bring the story of London's transport up to date and to revitalize the Museum's existing collection to tell the story of London's transport more effectively, and look at the future as well as the past and present. Our new exhibition themes include transport art and design heritage; public transport at war; London's massive expansion during the 20th century; and world city comparisons.
In revealing the history of transport in London, we will also be telling the fascinating stories of the lives of Londoners and the development of the Capital over the last 200 years.
Our vision:
- Bring the story of London's transport up to date
- Revitalize the existing collection to tell the story of London's transport more effectively
- Create more display space within a radically improved Museum environment
- Champion the role transport plays in the vitality and viability of the Capital
- Represent London on an international stage
- Conserve the current Grade II-listed Flower Market building
- Display more of the designated collections than ever before.
A new look
A new Museum deserves a new look to communicate its vision and feel.
We have retained the world-famous 'roundel' logo used by our parent organization, Transport for London, and given it an informal treatment through the use of modern, bright colours. A series of creative, fun roundels have also been developed to illustrate different themes and aspects of the Museum.
Our approach to our visual identity echoes that taken by Frank Pick in the early 20th century. As Chief Executive of London Transport, Pick employed cutting-edge contemporary designers and allowed them to bring the London Transport brand to life with playful and persuasive creativity. Frank Pick's strategy worked and led to the implementation of one of earliest examples of a clear and consistent corporate design policy that has survived for over a century and still inspires us today.