Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery design, National Railway Museum York, NRM De Matos Ryan
Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery
9 May 2025
Location: National Railway Museum (NRM) in York, North Yorkshire, northern England, UK
Design: De Matos Ryan
RIBA Yorkshire Award winners 2025 announced
Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery – winner of RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year Award 2025:
photo © Hufton+Crow
Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery – RIBA Award
Jury citation:
The National Railway Museum (NRM) in York has long been a much-loved cultural destination for railway and heritage enthusiasts. Building on this appeal, the Science Museum Group are implementing a transformational programme across the museum to inspire new generations of fans, of which Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery is an integral part.
photos © Hufton+Crow
Designed to inspire future generations of engineers and inventors, Wonderlab has inter-generational appeal, but with a particular focus on inspiring 7-to-14-year-olds through railway-themed principles related to STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
Housed in the former locomotive repair workshop, whose spirit can still be felt, the space retains the layered history and authenticity of the original but with an additional calm material palette and graphic treatment that brings the scheme together. The result is an interior that feels welcoming, light and playful without shouting too loudly, allowing the interactive exhibits and large-scale art installations to take centre stage.
Two inspired arts commissions add to the overall experience. The resulting works by northern-based artists Pippa Hale and Steve Messam have been cleverly integrated, bringing both joy and wonder, as well as a reminder of the ’A’ in STEAM – a learning approach that does not sideline Art. The architects have brilliantly handled the project, with design interventions that are controlled and considered, that celebrate the creative process and language of railway engineering principles, and take inspiration from the museum’s key exhibits and concepts.
The jury particularly loved the inspiration for the Wallace Learning Space with its ceiling of circular apertures which prompt a peek at the boiler structure of the Ellerman Lines steam locomotive directly outside the gallery. Conceived as an engineering playground, this playful space is expertly executed with extensive attention to detail, developed through an impressive process of consultation and co-design which is also very evident.
To create the interactives, a 16-month prototyping process involved 1,300-plus individuals, including rail and education experts, local community groups and the public. Experts in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) together with interest groups ensured that the gallery is accessible and inclusive for all, with dedicated spaces to manage acoustics. The overall quality of the gallery is outstanding and testament to the client’s intelligent and ambitious brief, but also credit to a design team who have meticulously delivered.
2025 RIBA Yorkshire Awards Winners – Buildings & Architects
The RIBA Yorkshire Awards 2025 winning projects are:
– Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery by De Matos Ryan – Building of the Year and Project Architect of the Year
– Petronella Houseby Chiles Evans + Care Architects
– Young People’s Space by ArkleBoyce – Small Project of the Year and Client of the Year (sponsored by Equitone)
– Duncan Place Library & Community Hub by EDable Architecture
– Hull Minster by Bauman Lyons Architects Ltd
Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery, National Railway Museum York, Yorkshire – 2025 RIBA Yorkshire Awards Winners images / information received from the RIBA
Location: National Railway Museum York, Yorkshire, northern England, UK
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