Created to celebrate the reopening of the Banqueting House – the only surviving complete building of the lost Palace of Whitehall – the exhibition invites visitors to explore some of the most defining moments in British history, which unfolded here over 400 years ago at the heart of Whitehall.

Originally designed as a drinking den where James I entertained his favourites, the undercroft has been reimagined as an immersive introduction to the building's remarkable history. Working in harmony with the vaulted architecture, the narrative is interpreted through objects, tactile models and theatrical film sets to create a series of atmospheric encounters that reveal the spectacle, ritual and shifting power of the Stuart court.

Inspired by Inigo Jones’ pioneering masques, where architecture, theatre, painting and performance merged into immersive spectacles, a sequence of layered miniature theatre sets become stages for animated films, enveloped in illustration. Visitors journey from the opulence of the Stuart court through civil war, the execution of Charles I, Cromwell’s Commonwealth and the Restoration. The changing character of each environment responds to the unfolding narrative, using the language of theatre to reveal the building as both stage and witness.

Throughout the exhibition, material choices reflect the history of the site. Reclaimed oak flooring was repurposed to create the exhibition furniture, while a handcrafted timber model of Whitehall Palace, created in collaboration with Richard Maher, reconnects the Banqueting House with the vast palace complex it once commanded.

Our role: Exhibition & Graphic design / Animation / Artwork

Contractors: Unusual Projects and Deadline Cutting

Model Maker: Mahers

Graphic Contractors: Displayways and Extreme Displays