HESCO Exhibit Environment | Royal Armouries Museum Leeds
Dual-Purpose Installation | Museum Display & Presentation Theatre
Project Scope & Museum Context
Permanent museum exhibition design for the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, UK's national museum of arms and armour. The project created a dual-purpose mezzanine installation showcasing HESCO’s Concertainer® defensive barrier system - modular units used worldwide for military base protection, forward operating posts and blast mitigation. The brief required an immersive environment that functions both as a public museum display educating visitors about fortification and as a presentation theatre for educational programmes, corporate events and demonstrations. The installation needed to authentically represent field conditions while accommodating group presentations within the museum's War Gallery.
Observation Post Recreation & Authentic Environment
We designed a life-size military observation post using actual HESCO Concertainer units - the same filled barrier modules deployed in conflict and disaster zones for protection and flood defence. The exterior recreates battlefield fortification: stacked Concertainer barriers forming protective walls with sandbag reinforcement, camouflage netting and weathered finishes simulating deployment conditions. Interior spaces replicate operational environments with authentic details including radio equipment, tactical maps, surveillance monitors and basic field furniture. This approach allows Royal Armouries visitors to experience genuine soldier conditions rather than viewing barriers as static displays, connecting historical arms exhibits with contemporary military technology.
Dual-Purpose Theatre Functionality
The observation post interior accommodates 30-40 seated visitors for presentations, transforming the exhibit into a functioning theatre space. Integrated AV systems include projection equipment, sound reinforcement and lighting controls concealed within the military aesthetic. The immersive environment enhances educational programmes about modern warfare, military engineering and defence technology while providing HESCO with a permanent demonstration facility at one of UK's most-visited military museums. School groups experience authentic settings during educational sessions, while museum events utilise the space for presentations to multiple user groups in contextual surroundings.
Permanent Installation & Visitor Experience
Located on the Royal Armouries mezzanine level, the observation post creates a dramatic focal point visible from multiple gallery floors. The permanent installation demonstrates HESCO's commitment to public education about force protection technology while providing the Leeds museum with a contemporary complement to its historical weaponry collections. Visitors gain understanding of how modern military barriers protect personnel and infrastructure, bridging the museum's historical mission with current defence realities. The exhibit successfully combines experiential museum design with functional event space, serving educational and commercial purposes within the UK's premier military museum environment.
