Reimagining Hackney Museum
Hackney, London

Hackney Museum is the community history museum for the London Borough of Hackney, a culturally and ethnically super diverse part of east London which has changed significantly over the last 25 years.

Together with the client, GuM Studio aim to revitalise the Museum’s role as a community-focused cultural hub through this project. GuM Studio, as the lead exhibition designer, play a key role in reinterpreting and updating the museum’s permanent exhibition to create an engaging and inclusive experience that resonates with Hackney’s diverse communities. Alongside a new welcome reception and spaces for temporary exhibitions, events, and community activities, the redesigned spaces will foster a deeper connection between the museum and its visitors.

This project is funded by a generous grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Hackney Council. 

Central to the project is community engagement. GuM Studio’s approach ensures that underserved communities have a voice in shaping the exhibitions, enabling them to share their stories, address local issues, and see their experiences reflected within the broader history of Hackney. By co-curating sensitive and complex narratives with priority audiences, GuM Studio are committed to providing meaningful representation and encouraging a sense of ownership among local residents.

Through a thoughtfully designed, community-led exhibition approach, GuM Studio and Hackney Museum are working together to make the museum a relevant, inclusive, and sustainable cultural space that reflects and celebrates the dynamic communities of East London.

In this project, we are reimagining the permanent and temporary exhibitions to foster meaningful participation and representation. By engaging with local communities and co-curating exhibits, we bring complex and sensitive histories to life, enabling visitors to see their own experiences reflected alongside others’. This inclusive design approach not only honours Hackney’s rich, multicultural heritage but also transforms the museum into a community resource where residents can engage with local issues rooted in historical context.

GuM Studio are proud to shape a space where Hackney’s communities can gather, share, and reflect on the diverse histories that define their home. Through this collaboration, we invite all visitors to experience the museum as a place of connection, empowerment and cultural pride.

Consultants

Lighting Design: DHA Designs

Graphic Design: Paul Khera

Quantity Surveyor: PT Projects