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Metaphor presents new visitor experience at The Nelson Room

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nelson room royal naval college

Historic space at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, is now open to the public

Metaphor, a leading planner and designer of museums, is celebrating the opening of The Nelson Room at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich following a year-long restoration project.

The company worked with the venue to create a new visitor experience, designed to bring the story of Nelson’s final journey to life. Now, guests can discover how Nelson’s body travelled from Trafalgar to its final resting place in St Paul’s Cathedral.

Creating a sense of place

Metaphor designed the interpretation in harmony with the room’s architecture and rich history. It now features an immersive film, which highlights the mood of the nation in the wake of Nelson’s death – one of both celebration of his life and loss at the passing of a hero.

There are also large graphic panels that show different elements of his life. As well as complementing the refurbished colour scheme, these also act as an acoustic buffer for the room.

For this project, Metaphor worked closely with the Old Royal Naval College in order to make their vision for the space a reality, giving it a sense of place and a clear narrative.

Alongside the addition of Metaphor’s new visitor experience, the conservation project also included the restoration of the room’s artwork, marble and stonework. In addition, new benches and a new lift have been added, making the space more accessible.

An emotional journey

Metaphor Nelson Room Old Royal Naval College

Speaking to the BBC about the Nelson Room, Claire Kirk, head of collections at the attraction, said:

“It was a records room at the time for Greenwich Hospital and they made room and they put his body here for 11 days while they were setting up the Painted Hall next door for the lying in state.

Following his death: “The country was distraught. There was a huge outpouring of grief. The funeral had thousands of people lining the route. It was very sombre. The whole country was grieving for their hero.”

The new visitor experience will help guests to understand more about Nelson’s life and legacy, as well as learn about the area’s maritime history.

“I’d like people, once they see this room, to realise the connection with Nelson and Greenwich, and our part in the story,” added Kirk.

“Metaphor is proud to have been the exhibition designer on such a meaningful project. We are pleased to have brought prominence to this small but powerful room and to take the visitor on an emotional journey through the space,” says a spokesperson for the company.

Metaphor is a leading team of architects, designers, content developers and marketers with extensive experience throughout the cultural industry. Recently, Metaphore announced that it will be working as the designer on a new project to transform the National Holocaust Centre and Museum

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charlotte coates

Charlotte Coates

Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.

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