Poole Museum
The Brief
With a longstanding partnership built over several years, Leach and specialist contractor Marcon once again joined forces – this time to support a major redevelopment of Poole Museum. Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council who own and operate the museum, sought a creative partner to help reimagine the museum’s interior following an extensive refurbishment, delivered with investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England and led by ZMMA Architects and Exhibition Designers.
The challenge: bring new energy and storytelling impact to a historic maritime building closed for several years, while respecting its architectural character. Leach collaborated closely with Marcon to design, produce and install a comprehensive suite of large-format graphics over a ten-month programme from February to November 2025 – ready for the museum’s reopening on 5 November.
The Solution
From the outset, Leach worked hand-in-hand with the project architects to ensure every graphic and material choice complemented the museum’s newly revitalised stone and timber interior.
A key design consideration was the building’s uneven wall surfaces and angled plinths. Rather than fight the space, we used it to our advantage – introducing industrial-style materials and textured finishes that enhanced the museum’s maritime story. The solution included:
- Aluminium panels, selected for their clean edges, durability and contemporary aesthetic
- Plywood graphics that added warmth and natural character
- Printed calico, wrapped around structural elements for a tactile, fabric-led finish
Custom brackets were engineered to mount the aluminium panels securely to the irregular stone walls – each requiring unique angles, precision measurement, detailed approvals and specialist installation. The process involved extensive behind-the-scenes collaboration across design, metalwork and lacquering teams.
Leach also produced complex folded panels incorporating braille, engineered to fold with exceptional accuracy to meet accessibility and functional requirements.
The Results
Over 500 individually designed graphic panels, delivered across three floors, were produced, delivered in phases and installed on-site over a three-week period by Leach’s specialist installation and project management teams.
The transformation was dramatic: what had once been brickwork and old beams – became a vibrant, interactive museum environment. The displays now elevate the museum’s collection, enabling visitors to engage with stories, objects and digital experiences in entirely new ways.
Two large-format lightboxes were incorporated to introduce a contemporary visual feature within the heritage setting.
Visitors to the new Poole Museum can now enjoy:
- Three new maritime galleries: Harbour Life, Setting Sail, and Shipwreck!
- The Poole Iron Age Logboat – nearly 10 metres long and the largest ever found in Southern Britain – now presented on open display
- Maritime archaeology including timbers, artefacts and cargo from three protected shipwrecks
- Two flexible galleries hosting a dynamic schedule of touring and temporary exhibitions
- A range of interactive and hands-on exhibits designed to engage all audiences
In Their Words
Alison Gudgeon, Senior Project Manager, BCP Council:
“The finished Poole Museum is an extraordinary transformation – materials and architecture have combined perfectly to create incredibly high-standard, beautiful, cultural spaces that visitors tell us are a pleasure for them to spend time in. The quality and aesthetic is crucial to the museum making the leap from town-scale to regional-scale cultural venue.”
Kelly Hyde, Senior Project Manager at Leach, added:
“It was great to work alongside Marcon again on Poole Museum. It was a real collaborative effort across Leach in delivering this project with numerous complexities involved. From creating the artwork to installing the final graphics on site, every graphic was approached with intention and thorough design thinking.”
Planning a Museum or Heritage Project?
Leach has extensive experience delivering large-format graphics and specialist display solutions for museums, galleries and cultural destinations. If you’re working on a new exhibition or redevelopment, we’d love to discuss how we can help bring your stories to life.
