The Salisbury Museum is located in the impressive King’s House, a Grade I listed building that dates back to the early 13th century, opposite Salisbury Cathedral.

Past forward is a £5.1m redevelopment project that was substantially funded by the NLHF. DMA was the lead designer and architect for the duration of the project which involved the following:

- Restoring and renewing the North wing of the building (internal area of 940sqm)

- Creating a new Salisbury History Gallery telling the City’s story from 1220 to 2020.

- Re-displaying the exceptional collection of ceramics within the context of the historic 17th century core of the building.

- Creating a new Natural History Gallery utilising a fascinating collection of objects that had previously been in storage.

- Making the collections and building more accessible and safe with a new lift and escape stair

- Creating a flexible events space to help diversify income streams, and thereby ensuring the business model that is self-sustaining.

- Providing a new education space for schools and university visits.

- Renewing the cafe, kitchens and toilets

- Extensive conservation works (designed by Loop Architects)

The design process lasted 3 years and was based on extensive public/audience consultation as well as collaborative discussions between all members of the team.

The new Galleries opened in summer 2024 to much acclaim.

Encounters: Giacometti is an ongoing series of exhibitions at the Barbican Centre in London that pairs the work of Alberto Giacometti and three contemporary artists – Huma Bhabha, Mona Hatoum and Lynda Benglis. The series aims to create a dialogue between Giacometti's distinctive post-war sculptures and modern artistic practices. The year-long series, organized in collaboration with the Fondation Giacometti, runs from May 2025 to May 2026.

DMA was appointed as exhibition designer in Autumn 2024 to work on all three exhibitions. Working in collaboration with the Barbican and the artists was a really enjoyable experience. Modelling the gallery and artworks in 3D was a useful tool to facilitate this process and test ideas. DMA has provided carefully designed purpose made plinths, partitions and vitrines (with active humidity control) for each individual artwork and has supplied clear and detailed drawings to enable specialist contractors to make the necessary items.

All photos used with the kind permission of Barbican Art Gallery.

Photos for Encounters Giacometti x Mona Hatoum © Jo Underhill

Photos for Encounters: Giacometti x Huma Bhabha, Credit: © Max Creasy

DMA was appointed by the Science Museum in November 2017 to prepare a feasibility study to look into expanding and refurbishing its main shop. The outcome of this work was a lengthy report that presented four options. Each one was priced (by the QS), and was carefully considered both technically and in terms of the routes and views through the space because the shop is in a pivotal position close to the entrance of the museum. The museum chose to move forward with the most comprehensive option, which involved removing large infill partitions and a staircase/walkway that blocked the views between the entrance concourse to the East Hall Atrium and creating a new staircase to link the ground and mezzanine levels.

The Museum chose to tender for a design team to complete the project in Spring 2018. Drinkall Dean won this competition and became the lead designer for the remainder of the project. They, in turn, appointed DMA to complete the Architectural scope of work which involved the design of the new wall, column and ceiling linings, a new staircase, balustrades and the coordination of the new lighting, M&E fixtures and other built-in elements. DMA worked in close collaboration with Drinkall Dean and the rest of the team until the new shop opened in July 2019.

Photo Credit © Science Museum Group    

The Undercroft is one of the oldest areas of the Abbey, dating back to the foundation of the Norman church by Edward the Confessor in 1065. It is a beautiful vaulted space that until recently housed the Abbey’s permanent exhibition. After a major redevelopment project, the area became vacant and in 2018 the Abbey engaged DMA to look into how best to use it in the future. Various options were considered including creating a new immersive exhibition. After much consideration, the Abbey chose to simply refurbish the space and make it accessible so that it could be used for a variety of functions.

Making the space accessible to people with disabilities was a central part of the project. To improve physical access DMA carefully designed a new ramp and steps. DMA worked closely with Ptolemy Dean (the Surveyor of the Fabric of the Abbey) to develop a design that wouldn’t impact the historic fabric. A new lighting track was also added as well as general refurbishment of the space. The result is an elegant and robust space that will be useful for years to come.

The Wells Cathedral Clock was permanently loaned to the Science Museum in the 19th Century. Dating from the 14th Century it is one of the oldest and most significant clocks in the world. The mechanism still works and is wound each day so that visitors can watch it move and chime.

This project involved the creation of a new display for the Clock on the ground floor in an area of high footfall, between the Making of the Modern World Gallery and the Wellcome Wing. 

DMA was appointed as Architect and Exhibition Designer in January 2017 and worked closely with the Science Museum’s internal team to develop a solution that would be both visually attractive and meaningful.  

Careful design coordination was required with the Specialist Clock Installer, the Main Contractor and the Structural Engineer because the main body of the Clock weighs nearly three tonnes and needed to be installed in phases. 

Photo Credit © Science Museum Group

The Covid 19 pandemic caused the V&A museum to rethink its staff accommodation. In May 2020 all of their existing spaces were risk assessed in light of the virus. The staff facilities in the South East corner of the basement were highlighted as areas that could not be properly used. The existing changing, locker and mess facilities located in this area were poorly ventilated and laid out. In addition, they were in very poor condition and had inadequate lighting. The scope of this project therefore looked at ways to solve these problems. Initially this involved meeting the stakeholders to fully understand the needs of the users and their work patterns. It has also meant looking around the spaces in detail to fully understand and record the existing layout and features. Using this information a concept design was developed. This design resulted in a complete overhaul of the area (420sqm). The rooms were reorganised, refurbished and new lighting and ventilation systems were installed. The project was completed in May 2021 after a fast tracked programme of work. DMA led the design team through the entire process from its inception to the installation of the new furniture.

DMA has many years of experience designing buildings in the residential sector. Projects have ranged from designing small alterations and extensions to the complete remodelling of substantial listed buildings. A couple recent projects are illustrated in the adjacent images.

A £1.6 million new gallery which opened in July 2014. The gallery is of international importance, telling the story of Salisbury and the surrounding area from prehistoric times to the Norman Conquest. It shows why Salisbury has a unique place in the history of region and of the nation.  Dmitri was lead designer on behalf of Metaphor from RIBA Stage C onwards.

Photos by Hufton Crow used with kind permission from Metaphor.

The opening of ‘Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation’ exhibition marked the end of an ambitious seven-year project to tell the Cathedral’s story and show its treasures. The seven new galleries are arranged over three levels in the Cathedral’s South Transept and reveal Winchester’s pivotal role in shaping early English history. The exhibition features some internationally important objects including the Winchester Bible (the largest and finest of all surviving 12th-century English bibles). 

Metaphor was commissioned to design the exhibition in 2012 and Dmitri was a key part of the team that delivered the concept and scheme design. After forming DMA he led the project on behalf of Metaphor for the next two and a half years up to its successful completion in May 2019.

Photo Credit © Peter Cook used with the kind permission of Metaphor

The V&A Archive and Registry (VAAR) is the department which cares for the V&A’s institutional records and archives. The VAAR needed to find a new home by 2023 and DMA was asked to look into the feasibility of locating it in the South Kensington Museum building. The brief was extremely challenging inasmuch as the spaces in the existing building were very densely occupied, the budget was tight and newly-built extensions were not possible. Furthermore, the new facility needed to be accredited by The National Archive, which meant that stringent performance criteria for security, fire protection and environmental conditions had to be met. Public access was also required.

Several options were explored but after much analysis and consultation with stakeholders, it was decided that the accommodation should be divided between two different areas. The offices and file stores (for non-archive material) were positioned in rooms on the upper floors of the Henry Cole Wing. This part of the project involved repurposing a group of existing rooms and relocating the existing users. An existing photography studio was reduced in size and completely refurbished, and new offices and stores for the VAAR were created in an adjoining space. The Archive Stores were relocated to the basement of the building. It was the most suitable place to house them because it was the most secure area of the museum and it didn’t involve any structural alterations. However, significant alterations were required to relocate the existing facilities and meet the performance requirements of the archive. This involved installing new rolling racking to store the collection, new wall linings and doors to protect the collection and new building services to create the correct environmental conditions for it to be preserved. The project was successfully completed in 2021.

The V&A chose to carry out a major refurbishment and re-display of these iconic galleries in 2010. The first phase (Gallery 46b), completed in 2015, features over 60 of the V&A’s finest 19th-century reproductions of important Italian Renaissance monuments – including Michelangelo’s David. The second phase (Galleries 46a and 46) which includes Trajan's Column, the 12th-century Pórtico de la Gloria and many other historic casts opened in December 2018. A key part of the design was to reinstate the original Victorian colour scheme and to remove the infill partitions that had been installed between the two main courts. The placement of each object and the visitor routes/views were very carefully considered as was the design of the new display furniture (plinths, showcases, lecterns, etc).

Dmitri was Metaphor’s lead designer from the start of the project until its successful completion. 

Photo Credit © Peter Cook used with the kind permission of Metaphor

A major £14.1m redevelopment of eleven Galleries, which contain NMS’s internationally important collections in decorative art, design, fashion, science and technology. Dmitri was involved to some extent throughout the design process and led the Metaphor team from RIBA Stage F onwards. The new spaces opened in July 2016 to much acclaim. 

Photos by Colin McLean used with kind permission from Metaphor..

A new museum housed within a beautiful listed former stable building, completed in August 2016. The Treasury houses outstanding collections of art and archaeology belonging to Winchester College. Four galleries are filled with collections from around the world including medieval treasures, Chinese ceramics and ancient artefacts from Egypt, Greece and Rome. Dmitri was lead designer for Metaphor throughout the process.

Photos by Hufton Crow used with kind permission from Metaphor.

This project was completed in 2009 and comprised of a £2.5million reconfiguration and refurbishment of the buildings and the re-display of the collections. The galleries tell the fascinating story of an ancient religious military order, from its origins caring for sick pilgrims in eleventh century Jerusalem, through to its modern-day role with St John Ambulance, the international first aid charity. Dmitri led the Metaphor team from RIBA Stage F onwards.

Photos by Hufton Crow used with kind permission from Metaphor.

During his time at Metaphor Dmitri carried out a major feasibility study to improve the Guildhall Art Gallery as a visitor experience. As a result of this work, Metaphor’s report and the recommendations it set out, the City of London decided to execute two significant construction projects. One was to improve the display areas with new wall linings and lighting. The other was the creation of a new Heritage Gallery and Education space. Dmitri was key member of the multidisciplinary design team that brought these projects to a successful conclusion in Summer 2014.