AOC have worked closely with Wellcome Collection to create the Reading Room, a new type of permanent public gallery that encourages physical, intellectual and social participation with the collection. The project creates a 390sqm, double-height gallery on the second floor of Septimus Warwick’s neo-classical Wellcome Building at 183 Euston Road, London. Our designs aim to combine the spatial intensity of the building’s most dramatic space with the user-led indeterminacy of social media. The historic space has been enriched by sampling the character of two of Wellcome Collection’s past spaces. The aim to create a socially participative gallery required an extensive brief development and testing process. Our early investigations included in-depth consultation with a diverse team within Wellcome Collection, exploring the interface of artefacts, digital content and events. As the designs evolved we led a series of public testing events at Wellcome Collection which allowed designers and curators to explore 1:1 furniture prototypes and their impact upon the artefact/visitor relationship. These validated Wellcome’s intentions and usefully influenced subsequent designs.