London, United Kingdom
Bringing together over 430 objects from across Europe in a landmark spectacle on the history and mystery of the famous monument, Ralph Appelbaum’s exhibition named “The World of Stonehenge” reveals the cyclical connections between people, landscapes, and the cosmos.
Visitors arrive in a space suspended between darkness and light, announcing the dawning of the world of Stonehenge.
The World of Stonehenge has recently been awarded a 2023 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Four key objects—each uniquely representing the sun—reveal the connection between people, nature, and the heavens above.
With these as the core themes, the narrative then unfolds over six distinct sections. Some highlights include Working with Nature, which features a collection of stone axes from across Europe and the British Isles, presented against the largest wall graphic ever seen at the British Museum.
In Seahenge, a remarkably preserved, 4,000-year-old timber circle creates a moment of revelation in the exhibition.
In Under One Sky, visitors are immersed in a breathtaking canopy of stars, under which stunning gold jewelry and astonishing examples of early metalwork are spotlit to enhance their magical qualities.
From start to finish, each of the exhibition components, from the materials and colors to the graphics and audio-visual media, has been designed to capture a sense of the changing landscapes of the Stonehenge era.
Designer: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Project Director: Caroline Sjöholm
Lead 3D Designer: Bob de Graaf
3D Designers : Cristina Salvi and Mat Mason
Lead 2D Designer: Laurène Ciocco
2D Designer Helen Schulte
Content Developer: Sadie Levy Gale
Content Coordinator: Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Client: British Museum
Photographs: Courtesy of the British Museum
