The Box: UK's Largest Museum Space Opens in Plymouth

On September 29, 2020, The Box, the largest multidisciplinary museum and exhibition space in the UK, opens in Plymouth. Delayed four months due to the pandemic, the £40 million project by Atkins Architects merges three former buildings—the Plymouth Museum and Art Gallery, Central Library, and St. Luke's Church—into a 3,500-square-meter cultural hub. It features 13 galleries, an archive, study spaces, interactive exhibits, and immersive installations. Inaugural artists include Leonor Antunes and Antony Gormley. The Box is the flagship of Plymouth's 'Resurgam' plan, which has distributed over £42 million to support 3,500 local businesses hit by COVID-19. Nicola Moyle, Head of Heritage, Art & Film, stated the program blends history and contemporary art to revive the past through the present. Tudor Evans, Plymouth council leader, emphasized preservation of the city's heritage, uniting six national collections including the Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth and West Devon Record Office archives, and films from South West Film and Television Archive and South West Image Bank.