Nissen Richards Studio designs IWM London

Nissen Richards Studio has designed the 'Childhood in War' exhibition for IWM London, which opens in summer 2026. The exhibition will run until 28 February 2027 and occupies just under 500 square meters on the museum's third floor. According to the source, the Imperial War Museum's major summer 2026 exhibition focuses on the impact of war on children, drawing on the IWM's archive from conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth since the First World War.

The London-based architecture and exhibition design practice, which has collaborated with IWM on six previous projects, created nine individual room-sets. These spaces are designed for both adult and family audiences. The exhibition uses objects, personal testimony, audiovisual elements, and interactive experiences. It covers conflicts from the First World War to the War in Ukraine and the Sudanese Civil War.

Pippa Nissen, Director of Nissen Richards Studio, commented that the exhibition represents a unique perspective. "Our approach allows children as well as adults to access sometimes hard-hitting information in a thoughtful way," Nissen stated. The room-sets are based on familiar settings like kitchens, bedrooms, living rooms, and classrooms.

3D Design Approach

The design uses a colour palette inspired by objects on show, mixing bold colours with tonal shifts. Colour-washing is used throughout to abstract the sets and create a dynamic experience. Each room-set features a graphics base colour combined with secondary and highlight colours. Materials range from domestic and solid to papery and abstract.

The palette has a tinge of nostalgia, mostly taken from World War Two and the Cold War era. Phoebe Flatau, Senior Lead Designer at Nissen Richards Studio, explained the rhythm. "A host of characters guide the visitor through the spaces, illuminating key objects and themes," Flatau said.

Graphic Design Approach

Emily Lannin, Graphic Designer and Illustrator at Nissen Richards Studio, said the graphic concept reflects how war turns lives upside down. "We have used shapes, typography and graphics that are often a little bit 'off'," Lannin explained. The graphics use asymmetrical, precarious, offset, crooked, uneven, slanted or irregular elements.

Silhouettes of three photographed children are stencilled or screen-printed onto walls as guides. Pippa Nissen explained these figures ease the difficulty of the subject matter for child visitors. The outlines also underscore the difference between normal life and conflict. A carefree child is seen playing, while a child affected by conflict has a filled-in silhouette and is often inactive.

Typography is often large format, up to 144 pt font size, arranged on walls in block print. The graphic design was inspired by children's books and board games. Collaging is used for 3D models in five room-sets, using images from the IWM archive to create a sense of place.

Exhibition Rooms and Literary Trail

An introductory panel sets up themes based on children's rights from the United Nations. A literary trail for children alludes to six books on plinths, with stamps for visitors to collect. The books are Armistice Runner by Tom Palmer, When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler, Safiyyah's War by Hiba Noor Khan, The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis, Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson, and You Don't Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska.

The first full room-set is a bedroom themed 'Right to Play', inspired by films. The second room, 'Fun and Games', features a life-sized wall board game with bright orange walls. Room Three, 'Indoctrination', has a darker feel with a wall display in the shape of a giant X. Room Four, 'Safe from Violence', is a dark corridor setup showing lines of travel from war zones. The remaining rooms continue the journey through the exhibition's themes.