Two squares, lightly inserted into the heart of the site, form a new centrepiece for the National Railway Museum, enhancing the wonderfully open museum landscape while creating a transparent gateway between town, museum and York Central.
A 50×50 metre translucent roof covers a new public space for people, artefacts and events connecting all the major elements of the museum. Beside it, a second identical roof covers a new exhibition hall. Red sandstone under the light steel roof defines an open, daylit and flexible exhibition space taking the story of railways into the future. Visitor reception, retail and seating form small informal spaces around the exhibitions. The two new squares, arranged corner to corner, connect Station Hall to Great Hall and to the new exhibition hall. Silcock Goods Shed, at the western corner of the new roof, is transformed into a restaurant activating the threshold to York Central. Future and past are reconnected across the site framing a new perspective for generations to come.
