Airside (with mae Architects) won a six way pitch to design the identity and interiors for a new pop art gallery at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery. The gallery is aimed at 16-21 year olds and our brief was to make the gallery a space they would want to spend time in, whilst learning about pop art.

The brief for the corporate identity was that it should work across all media, from printed literature to t-shirts, as well as moving image.

Through a series of engaging challenges and entertaining games, gallery visitors are immersed in themes centred on pop art. The interactives, which include a dressing-up area, a giant pop art puzzle and a digital 'Warholiser', are designed to invite the visitor to participate in the exhibition and by doing so have a clearer understanding of the pop art movement.

The gallery's furniture is designed to accommodate what will be, regularly changing exhibitions - display cases and plinths can be used or stored as necessary. The space is kept white and minimal, with black and white furnishings to give the gallery a graphic modern look. Ambiance is created with coloured lighting, including under-seat lighting in the central sitting area. The specially designed couches aim to encourage people to linger, viewing the work at leisure.

Rather than having volumes of text to read, a life-sized projection of an Andy Warhol look alike appears at regular intervals to talk about and interpret his own work.

Wolverhampton Art Gallery have noted a substantial increase in the attendance of the target audience in the Pop Art Gallery. And they have been using the space exactly as desired in the original brief - as a place to simply hang out.

Corporate identity
Gallery design - information boards, signage
External window signage
Digital interactives
Physical interactives