There’s an assumption by some that heritage interpretation needs to stay in museum or gallery display spaces, close to the heritage that’s being interpreted. But don’t forget other areas visitors go to, like the coffee shop and even the loo.

This example, from the café beneath the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, takes close-up images from the huge painted scheme and reproduces them on the coffee tables. Every inch of the huge walls and high ceiling above is covered in painting and some of it is rather far away from the viewer, stood on the floor. These reproductions allow visitors to see them up close – each brushstroke visible, each detail defined –  while they enjoy a cuppa. There’s a subtlety to interpretation like this. It doesn’t overwhelm the visitor, but adds gently to the experience.

This clever, but simple, interpretive intervention was created by Simon Leach Design and David Sudlow Designers. And it’s featured as a case study worth taking note of in my book Interpreting Heritage: A Guide to Planning and Practice.

Photo: Philip Durrant