After five years of development, the National Railway Museum‘s largest brand-new gallery in more than a decade is now open to the public. Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery is a collection of 18 hands-on interactive exhibits. It aims to pique visitors’ interest in the fields of engineering and railways.
The gallery is located in a 1,500 square metre former locomotive workshop building next to the Great Hall of the museum and is geared towards families with children aged 7 to 14 as well as school groups. Visitors will also be able to watch live science performances and demonstrations inside the Weston Showspace and at a demonstration bar in addition to the interactives.
Judith McNicol, director of the National Railway Museum, says: “Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery represents the first area of the museum to undergo significant changes as part of our Vision 2025 masterplan and the result is a fantastic new interactive gallery that is a real asset for visitors and the city.
“The gallery was developed in partnership with the rail industry and other experts and we have listened to visitor feedback about the need for more interactive, hands-on experiences. We want to ensure that children have great fun while developing a spark of interest in engineering that will contribute towards tackling the UK’s shortage in STEM skills.”
Encouraging guests to think like engineers
Following Covid-19, the museum has seen an increase in guests. In 2022 it received 572,577 visits, making it the most-visited free attraction in the area, according to Visit Britain.
A live science show will be included in the admission price to Wonderlab for visitors. The spectacular and dramatic performance, called Fire Powered, will reveal how an engine can be powered by (safe) explosions. Meanwhile, at the Demo Bar, visitors can also get up close to fascinating experiments that explore railway engineering.
The 18 exhibits inspire individuals to think like engineers and gain skills as they design, build, and test to generate various outcomes. They focus on various aspects of railroads and engineering.
Highlights include ‘Feel the Force’, where guests can experience a massive wind tunnel to learn about streamlining, and ‘The Great Machine’, which challenges visitors to solve puzzles and design their own transportation system to transfer balls through a series of interconnected tubes.
More than 1,300 people participated in the testing and prototyping stages of developing the exhibits, with input from professionals in the rail industry, educators, local community groups, and the general public.
New artwork
A striking new permanent piece of art by Steve Messam is also being unveiled as part of the grand opening. The colourful inflatable sculpture known as “Mass” dominates the centre of the gallery at a height of 12 metres and a width of 16 metres. The structure relies on air under pressure to support itself, much like a hot air balloon.
Messam says: “Mass came about because I wanted something that had a strong visual impact that would command the large museum space and create a visual focal point. The artwork is very bold and stands taller than a house and I want people to have an emotional reaction when they experience it for the first time.
“Art is about experimenting and pushing the boundaries and engineering is all about finding solutions, so it feels appropriate that it is to be part of Wonderlab.”
In Pippa Hale‘s interactive artwork “Play Revolution,” visitors will also be able to construct and create structures like towers and bridges by moving around large foam shapes. This is designed to encourage guests of all ages to think like engineers. The museum’s archives and collections served as the inspiration for “Play Revolution,” as well as input from kids and teens from The Snappy Trust.
Design inspired by the area’s rich railway heritage
Wonderlab was created by architects De Matos Ryan, who also worked on London’s recently renovated Young V&A.
Jose Esteves De Matos, director of De Matos Ryan, says: “Inspired by its unique and rich railway surrounding and the gallery’s previous life as an engineering locomotive workshop, our design explores the different forms of motion evoked by railway engineering, particularly the perception of relative motion in relation to static volumes, surfaces, textures and light.
“We are absolutely delighted to see this interactive gallery come to life with the help and collaboration of the community that surrounds it. We hope it will inspire the imagination, creativity and problem-solving skills of future generations in a fun and engaging manner.”
The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation supported the project with a gift of £2.5m towards its creation in March 2022. Wonderlab has also received funding from the Garfield Weston Foundation, Eversholt Rail, Friends of the National Railway Museum, the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, The Holbeck Charitable Trust, the Kirby Laing Foundation, and the Charles and Elsie Sykes Trust.
The development of Wonderlab is part of the National Railway Museum’s wider Vision 2025 plan, which will also see the creation of Railway Futures: The Porterbrook Gallery. Earlier this year, McNicol spoke to blooloop about what visitors can expect from the project.
Top image credit James Glossop/National Railway Museum
