Two Tails Productions led the creative development and production of Astronomers Take Over, a multi-zone interactive expereince for Royal Museums Greenwich.
With major works under way at the Royal Observatory Greenwich and the Peter Harrison Planetarium closed for refurbishment, Royal Museums Greenwich needed to keep its astronomy offer visible and accessible throughout the closure period. The solution was Astronomers Take Over, a temporary experience at the National Maritime Museum that relocates the Royal Observatory’s astronomy team onto the museum floor.
The brief called for a space that would put visitors face to face with working astronomers, support a live programme of demonstrations and planetarium shows, and appeal to family audiences and school groups alike. It also had to operate as a ticketed, multi-zone visitor experience within an existing museum gallery, delivered to a fixed opening date.
Our creative concept took its cue from the story of the real-life situation. We imagined the gallery as a temporary base the astronomers had set up for themselves while their own home (the Royal Observatory) was out of action, a place to carry on their work in the meantime. The spaces were designed to feel self-assembled and lived-in, yet resolved, stylish and professional in every detail.
The result is an aesthetic that is makeshift in spirit but meticulous in execution. It gives the gallery a distinct personality and a sense of authenticity, signalling to visitors that they are stepping into a working space shaped by the astronomers rather than a conventional exhibition.
Two Tails Productions led the creative development and production of the exhibition, working in close partnership with the Royal Museums Greenwich exhibitions and astronomy teams and with technical production partner The Production Family. We developed the visitor journey as a sequence of themed zones, each designed around a distinct mode of engagement:
• Astronomers’ Lounge: an informal hosted space for conversation with the astronomy team
• Galaxy Box: an immersive walk-through environment
• Moon and Mars zones: hands-on challenges, including a Mars rover landing interactive
• Star Huddle: a flexible demonstration space for live, astronomer-led science
• Telescope: interpretation of 350 years of Royal Observatory history
Each zone balances self-led interactivity with facilitated programming, allowing the gallery to flex between busy family weekends, school sessions and quieter periods.
Our concepts informed the detailed designs, led by Jo Scotcher, who brought a strong element of theatre design to the spaces. Two Tails then worked alongside The Production Family and Jo to realise the concepts from both a design and technical perspective, covering the production build, technical builds and AV integration. Throughout, the work was shaped by the expertise of Royal Museums Greenwich and its astronomy team, keeping the science and storytelling accurate and true to the Observatory. Our sister company, MGA, led on the interpretive and graphic design production.
