Blockbuster exhibitions: what happens when the crowd gets too big?

The Bayeux Tapestry’s arrival at the British Museum has highlighted a central challenge in exhibition design: how do you give as many people as possible access to an extraordinary object while allowing each enough time to appreciate it?

There was always going to be huge interest in this exhibition, and with that comes some practical challenges around queues, viewing time and visitor flow.

The museum has responded with measures including refunds and replacement tickets where needed, but it also shows just how much emotional investment visitors can place in seeing an object like this. For some, it is a lifelong ambition, which matters more than we realise.

It also shows how difficult it can be to predict how visitors will actually move through and engage with something so significant. The museum planned for an experience of around 40 minutes. When admissions depend on people moving at a particular pace, even fairly small overruns can create queues that build throughout the day.

The museum is responding with longer opening hours, clearer signage, additional seating and audio interpretation. These are all sensible measures, and there are useful lessons here for anyone planning the next blockbuster exhibition.

The tapestry was always going to be a challenge. It is a single object, approximately 70 metres long, fragile and full of intricate detail. There are limits to how it can be displayed, while particular famous scenes will naturally attract clusters of visitors. Harold’s encounter with the arrow is going to hold people’s attention for longer than some of the neighbouring panels.

People also experience exhibitions differently. I would probably be comfortable within the anticipated 40 minutes. My partner would want to absorb considerably more detail. When we visit together, our dwell time reflects that. You therefore have to think about groups moving at the pace of their most engaged member, rather than just individuals passing through at an average speed.

Interpretation is another part of it. If visitors are standing in the best viewing space while reading explanatory material, that space is trying to do two jobs at once. Some of that understanding could happen elsewhere, giving people more time and space simply to look at the original.

What would I recommend?

Protect the viewing time. Controlled admission groups, with clearly communicated viewing windows, can make the experience more predictable. Milan’s Last Supper Museum demonstrates this principle. Any approach needs to accommodate access requirements and allow enough time for the object itself. The viewing window has to reflect the different ways people will engage with what they are seeing.

Plan for groups, not just individuals. Families and friends often move as a unit. Organised tours create different pressures because of their size and the tendency for people to gather around a guide. The Prado’s smaller permitted tour groups are a useful example of how this can be managed.

Separate orientation, viewing and deeper interpretation. Give people the information they need before they reach the object, then provide opportunities to explore its history and details afterwards. The original should remain the centrepiece, with the supporting material arranged around that experience.

Create different viewing opportunities. The Mary Rose Museum offers views of its central artefact across three levels, alongside contextual displays. I think there is a useful principle there. Giving people different perspectives can spread visitors out and help them understand an object gradually. For the tapestry, elevated views and digital enlargements could complement close inspection, as long as they make the journey easier rather than adding more complexity.

Test uneven behaviour. Average dwell time will only tell you so much. You also need to test what happens when people linger, several groups arrive together or one particular scene attracts far more attention than another. There will always be a need to adapt once an exhibition is open, but testing these scenarios beforehand can make that much easier.

The British Museum’s ability to attract this level of interest should be celebrated. It creates opportunities for learning and engagement, as well as commercial income across the heritage sector.

For me, the interesting question is how we make sure that success carries all the way through to the visitor experience. The opportunity to stop and look has to be part of the capacity calculation.

Justin Langshaw is the founder of STAMP Design Consultancy