National Maritime Museum
Reimagining a world-class cultural destination within a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Purcell has worked with Royal Museums Greenwich for over a decade, helping to deliver an ambitious masterplan for the National Maritime Museum. Our role as executive architects, masterplanners and heritage consultants has included the transformation of the multi-award-winning Sammy Ofer Wing, the design of the Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle plinth, and the creation of the four Endeavour Galleries. Most recently, we have been appointed as executive architects and lead consultants alongside Jamie Fobert Architects to carry out a major upgrade to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
Located within Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the National Maritime Museum is the largest institution of its kind in the world. The museum’s Grade I-listed buildings receive over 1.5 million visitors annually and hold a collection of more than 500,000 maritime artefacts.
The Sammy Ofer Wing
The most significant intervention in the museum’s recent history, the Sammy Ofer Wing project doubled the size of the museum’s south-west wing. We developed and delivered C.F. Møller’s concept design, achieving planning and listed building consent. Completed in 2011, the £36.5m scheme was supported by a £20m donation from philanthropist Sammy Ofer and a £5m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Our design introduced 7,300m² of space, much of it below ground, ensuring the original Victorian facade remains unobscured. The new entrance, with its triple-height atrium, glazed roof lanterns and sweeping views across Greenwich Park, establishes a contemporary yet contextually sensitive identity. The design draws inspiration from the baroque rhythm of the museum’s historic windows while providing a clear and welcoming route into the building.
The project returned 580m² of outdoor space to public use and includes a new café, restaurant and terraces overlooking the park. Internally, the new wing accommodates an 850m² special exhibitions gallery. One of the key challenges of this ambitious brief was to create a fully accessible research and learning centre, incorporating an archive for the myriad maritime artefacts. The new space gives researchers and the public unprecedented access to key artefacts for the first time.
The archive was designed to meet BS 5454 conservation standards and incorporates an innovative passive climate control system using clay plaster finishes. The scheme achieved a BREEAM ‘Very Good’ sustainability rating.
Despite a late-stage request to accelerate the construction timeline by a full year to coincide with the 2012 London Olympics, we delivered the project on time and to budget.
– Dr Margarette Lincoln, Deputy Director, Royal Museums Greenwich
Endeavour Galleries
Following the success of the Sammy Ofer Wing and its new library, Purcell implemented the second phase of the museum’s masterplan, converting redundant office and library spaces into the Endeavour Galleries. These four interlinked galleries – Polar Worlds, Tudor and Stuart Seafarers, Pacific Encounters and Sea Things – form a public circuit around Neptune Court.
Previously closed to the public, these areas were transformed through careful reconfiguration and conservation. The project included the redecoration of Sir Edwin Lutyens’ Rotunda and the sensitive reuse of historic library features, undertaken in consultation with Historic England and the Twentieth Century Society.
The project offered us the opportunity to introduce an exciting and contemporary piece of design in the form of a ramped, bridge link. It has resolved visitor circulation within the space and joined the new gallery to the rest of the museum.
Working closely with Casson Mann and the museum’s curatorial team, we ensured the new gallery spaces met the technical demands of modern museum display – including environmental control, floor loading and accessibility – while maintaining a strong connection to the museum’s architectural heritage. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the project made 1,000m² of space publicly accessible, increased the number of artefacts on display by 40% and created new learning and engagement opportunities.
Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle
As part of our broader work with the museum, Purcell designed and positioned the permanent plinth for Yinka Shonibare’s Nelson’s Ship in a Bottle. Previously shown on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, the artwork was relocated to a site outside the Sammy Ofer Wing.
Our design responds sensitively to the Portland stone façades of the museum and uses Crosland Hill York Stone to match the surrounding landscape. A bronze plaque provides visitors with context for the work, which explores themes of empire, identity and global maritime trade.
The commission was generously funded by Art Fund and private donors.
Long-term partnership
Throughout our work at Royal Museums Greenwich, Purcell has developed a deep understanding of the site’s complex heritage and operational needs. Each intervention – whether large-scale or discreet – has been driven by close collaboration and a commitment to excellence. Together, these projects have redefined the museum’s relationship with its site, its collections and its audiences, helping it continue to thrive as a world-leading cultural destination.
Details
- Client Royal Museums Greenwich
- Team London Studio
- Location Greenwich, London
- Country United Kingdom
- Listing Status Grade I
- Photography Morley von Sternberg; National Maritime Museum
Awards
- RIBA London Award (Sammy Ofer Wing) Won 2012
