Tullie House Museum

Raskl delivered the complete permenant exhibition fitout for Tullie House's new Carlisle Gallery, working alongside the museum's design team to create a co-curated space exploring Carlisle's identity through six thematic areas.

The challenge was to create a gallery that's both museum-quality and genuinely hands-on. The displays needed to meet full GIS conservation standards while accommodating everything from delicate taxidermy and specially-commissioned artworks to working model railways and interactive games. Everything had to be built to withstand thousands of curious hands while looking beautiful in the Grade I listed building's refurbished atrium.

We Made:

GIS-Compliant Display Cases with Unique Poplar Frames
Bespoke cases featuring whitewashed poplar frames, anti-reflective glass, and a novel stalk system for object display, fixed into a grid of threaded fixing holes in the top and bottom inside surfaces. This allows objects to float at different heights, creating dynamic displays. The walls were lined with custom DTM-printed patterns, with all interior finishes and materials Oddy tested. We researched and developed a new method of testing for VOC emissions using SIFT-MS mass spectrometry to quickly analyse the VOC profiles of various finishes, correlating with Oddy Test data. Internal lighting is a combination of linear strip light and spots with full rotation and focus adjustment from Precision Lighting.

The cases host a range of objects and ephemera, including specially-commissioned artworks like Nicole Bishop's 2024 'Faunus', extensive taxidermy of local wildlife, cultural artefacts, and even a working model railway.

Interactive Totems
In the centre of the space stands an array of totems, each representing a facet of Carlisle's character. Each totem combines a sculptural element, a photo lightbox, and an interactive component. The interactives include a magnetic 3D puzzle of a shattered bust of Septimius Severus, a 'cracker packer' game complete with CNC'd wooden versions of famous Carr's biscuits and digital timer, and a smell detection game where visitors press one of three buttons to emit a scented vapour and guess which biscuit it relates to—because one of the first things you notice when visiting Carlisle is the occasional buttery smell in the air.

Large Cylindrical Drum
A striking projection surface on the exterior. Inside, the space is lined with Autex acoustic panel with a matching bench to rest and listen to the motion-triggered audio installation.

Serena Korda's Hanging Ceramics
Above the entrance hangs an artwork by Serena Korda. The delicate mushroom sculptures were air-dried and not fired, so we were tasked with developing a coating solution that when dried prevents the ceramics from shattering if dropped from their height against the ceiling and remain intact.

Post-Mounted Touch Screen Interactives
Peppered around the space are interactive stations housed in powder-coated aluminium frames which match the aesthetics of the rest of the scheme, allowing visitors to explore changing maps of Carlisle and dig deeper into the collections.

Museum-Wide Wayfinding
We delivered the complete wayfinding scheme throughout the museum, featuring a distinctive design co-designed with Acrylicize.

The Context
Above the totems in the atrium space hangs the huge skeleton of Drigsby the whale, creating a dramatic focal point that connects visitors to Carlisle's natural history.

Materials & Finishes

Whitewashed poplar, navy-stained oak, laser-cut powder-coated aluminium, mirror-polished stainless steel, GIS-compliant anti-reflective glass, Oddy-tested DTM-printed fabrics, acrylic display pieces, integrated Precision Lighting LED systems, integrated AV systems with motion-triggered audio, Autex acoustic panels.

The Result

A robust, interactive, multi-sensory gallery that meets museum-grade conservation standards while encouraging direct engagement with Carlisle's collections and communities. Built for durability and multi-generational use, the space surprises, educates, and fosters wonder while protecting the collection for future generations.

Phase 2 of Project Tullie, opened April 2025. Exhibition design by De Matos Ryan. Exhibition fitout by Raskl. Bespoke mounts by Dauphin. AV designed by New Angle and installed by Fusion LX. 2D graphics by LucienneRoberts+.

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