British Museum

It was the first public museum to open up, use electricity, the second most visited art museum, and bring together all cultures of the world-spanning continents and oceans. Well, it is none other than the British Museum.

Let's start with the outer design...

The courtyard of the British Museum, originally a garden was one of England's long lost spaces. The building was designed in a classical style. It has a South ( main ) entrance that measures 112.7 m ( 370ft) and columns that are 13.7 m (45ft) high. Several designs were considered for the main entrance, as it was the last wing of the museum to be build construction couldn't begin until the first musuem building, Montagu House had been demolished.

The pediment, one of the iconic sculptures in London named ' The Progress of Civilisation ', read from left to right shows the eight stages of mankind. It first depicts animals from which man emerges, greeted by an angel holding the lamp of knowledge. Next, we have a hunter and farmer both facing each other forming an upper curve Then, the three classical girls, known as the Statues of the Arts: Architecture, Sculpture and Painting. The central figure is crowned and carries a globe and spear. She represents civilisation and science. The two consecutive figures represent the application of mathematical disciplines, as Geometry and Astronomy. Follows, a pair of girls with musical instruments, representing Music and Poetry. Finally, among the animals and plants, we have the fully civilised man.

Now to the interior design...

The museum originally had four wings, 60 galleries and also comprised of The British Library.

The Great Court was built in 1857. The original Robert Smirke design was supposed to be a garden. However in 1852 when other rooms were built, it became the library department. It stayed that way until 1997 when the department was relocated and the renovations could begin.

The Great Court was opened in 2000 and not only did it increase the museum's space by 40% and allowed visitors to move freely across but it also revealed spaces that had previously been hidden to the public. It also allowed free air circulation across the floor for the first time in 150 years. It also revealed spaces that had previously been hidden. The roof is made up of 3,312 panels of glass that are all unique. The Weston Hall was also restored around the same time as the Great Court, this time designed by Sydney Smirke who took on from his brother Sir Robert Smirke in 1845.

The British Museum has many other attractions, including the King's Library built for King George III ( now the enlightenment library) that won the Crown Estate Conservation Award from the RIBA for its restoration and display quality.