Discovery Around Every Bend

London Children’s Museum

A Legacy of Play

For 40 years, the London Children’s Museum has served its community as a place where young guests can learn, explore, and play. Now, the museum has entered a bold new chapter with a reimagined 36,000-square-foot space, designed to bring its mission to life: curating powerful play experiences through immersive environments, authentic materials, and meaningful relationships. As a champion for children, the museum celebrates their unique perspectives, contributions, and ways of learning—values reflected throughout its new exhibits. To realize this vision, Boss partnered with Reich + Petch and Skolnick Architecture, alongside fabrication partner Kubik Maltbie, to create a series of dynamic galleries that inspire discovery at every turn.

 
 

The unique, winding shape of the table resembles the local waterway, providing edge to edge opportunities for hands-on interaction.

LED lights illuminate the entirety of the water tables’ handrail.

Interactive tipping birds and custom topography fill up the nature themed portion of the water table.

 
 

Currents of Creativity

Drawing inspiration from the Thames River, the gallery’s water table captures the movement, energy, and playfulness of the local waterway. A striking twenty-foot laminar fountain launches balls high into a sculptural centerpiece, while a rocky waterfall feeds the river that winds its way into the table. Along its path, guests encounter a mix of natural interactive elements—such as tipping birds and dam tabs that control the flow—as well as STEAM-driven features designed to spark curiosity and invite open-ended exploration. Adaptable aqueducts, Duplo dam-building stations, and swirling water vortexes transform the river into a hands-on laboratory of play.

 
 

The centerpiece of the table consists of several laminar ball launches, sending play balls up 12 feet in the air and into the overhead track.

Water bernoulli fountains can be used to levitate balls all around the table.

The central sculpture creates an overhead spectacle in the gallery.

 
 

Big Moves, Bright Moments

Several signature features of the gallery required thoughtful engineering and precise collaboration. LED lighting integrated beneath the handrails ensures the exhibit shines as a spectacle in any lighting condition, while the rocky waterfall demanded careful planning to achieve the desired flow and aesthetic. Taking full advantage of the museum’s vaulted ceilings, the design team incorporated massive vertical elements that heighten the sense of scale and immersion, surrounding guests in an environment that feels both natural and awe-inspiring.

 
 
“The exhibits Boss created for the London Children’s Museum are incredibly interactive, engaging, and loved by visitors of all ages! The Boss team is clearly passionate about their work. Their enthusiasm for creating exceptional experiences is evident in both their process and the final product, making them fun and easy to work with. Even after the project was completed, their team remained attentive and responsive. We felt supported throughout the entire process and highly recommend working with this outstanding team!”
— Kate Ledgely, Executive Director, London Children's Museum
 
 

Sparking Lifelong Wonder

The Stream gallery has quickly become one of the most popular destinations within the museum’s new home. Rooted in the surrounding landscape and aligned with the museum’s mission, it invites open-ended discovery through water, play, and exploration. By engaging young guests in hands-on learning, the space not only educates but also inspires curiosity—fostering a generation of lifelong learners who will continue to shape and enrich their community.

 
 

Acrylic birds and clouds are suspended near the laminar fountains.

Smaller laminar fountains launch balls into the swirling vortex.

Features:

  • Waterfall | A rocky cascade delivers water into the gallery, providing a dynamic source for play and exploration.

  • River Channels | Guests move gates between land masses to redirect the flow of water along the river’s path.

  • Tipping Birds | As water fills each bird, it tips gracefully, releasing a splash back into the table.

  • Moveable Topo | Modular topo structures can be repositioned to change the direction and speed of the water flow.

  • Build-A-Fountain | Experiment with different-shaped wands pressed onto a water spout to create unique fountain patterns.

  • Laminar Sculpture | Smooth jets of water shoot balls upward into a vertical sculpture, combining precision and spectacle.

  • Water Bernoulli | Watch as balls levitate effortlessly on streams of laminar water.

  • Adaptable Aqueducts | Construct your own aqueducts using ramps, angles, and foam risers to guide the water.

  • Water Vortex | Spin balls around a swirling whirlpool before they cascade into the table below.
    Duplo Dam | Build custom dams with Duplo blocks to control and redirect the water’s flow.

  • Fogging Mushroom Fountain | Water spills evenly from a central tube, forming a circular mushroom-shaped sheet with mist pumped inside for a magical effect.

  • Rain Cloud | Turn the handwheel to release “raindrops” from cloud-shaped features, bringing gentle showers to the table.

  • Fishing Pond | Magnetic fishing poles let guests catch swirling fish in the pond section.

  • Water Toys and Faucet | Moveable water toys under interactive faucets allow visitors to experiment with fluid dynamics and creative play.

 
 

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