FLOORING IN VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
THE new 440sq m Ocean Map is at the heart of the National Maritime Museum, designed to bring a sense of the ocean back into the space and turn visitors’ views of the world inside out. Forbo’s Eternal heterogeneous vinyl was selected to create the bespoke, digitally printed floor graphic.
Part of Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), the National Maritime Museum showcases some 2.48m items, including some of the most important holdings in the world on the history of Britain at sea. Recently, the RMG has undertaken an ambitious project to transform the visitor experience at the heart of the museum.
As part of wider refurbishment works to the National Maritime Museum’s central atrium, the closure of the space proved an ideal time to review and refresh the wider interior design, with a focus on bringing a sense of the ocean back into the space. This included replacing a huge floor graphic of the world map, which had previously been an extremely popular feature of the space.
The project was a collaborative effort between iFlor Flooring Contractors, Harvey Maria and Forbo. Harvey Maria managed all client design and artwork, while iFlor handled the on-site installation.
Measuring 440sq m, the new digitally printed Ocean Map floor graphic is designed to turn visitors’ views of the world inside out. While most world maps focus on countries and continents, the Ocean Map is all about water.
Speaking about the project, Holly Wright, senior exhibitions project manager at Royal Museums Greenwich, said: ‘We were looking for a flooring solution that would allow us to deliver on our visions for the new, impressive Ocean Map graphic. We sought a product that was simple in its engineering, allowed the underfloor cooling and heating system to work effectively, and had a lower carbon footprint.
‘Having sought technical advice from consulting engineers and after reviewing material samples, the museum chose to specify the Eternal digitally printed vinyl flooring from Forbo Flooring Systems.’
Says Forbo: ‘Forbo’s Eternal vinyl has been a trusted solution for more than 20 years. Offering exceptional protection against scuffs and scratches through Forbo’s advanced PUR Pearl lacquering and embossing techniques, its proven high-tech product construction ensures the flooring remains stable and flat without curling. While Forbo’s advanced digital printing capabilities offer a new dimension in design and colour, allowing bespoke flooring solutions to be created. Produced in factories running off 100% renewable green energy, Eternal contains a high percentage of recycled content.’
Adam Couch, director at iFlor commented: ‘As well as the requirement for bespoke digital printing, it was essential that the chosen flooring would be durable enough to withstand high levels of footfall, including intense peaks of visitation. During major festivals and events, the museum can see several thousand visitors pass through the space in a single day.
‘Both iFlor and Harvey Maria have a long-standing and successful working relationship with Forbo; so, for a prestigious project like this it was the perfect match! The flooring installation took one and a half weeks and went very well. We’re so proud of the finished result – it looks amazing and the client is over the moon with it.’
Harvey Maria’s founder, Mark Findlay, concluded: ‘This has been an extremely exciting project for Harvey Maria. Working in partnership with Royal Museums Greenwich, iFlor Flooring Contractors and Forbo on the new ocean floor map has been fascinating and we have created an extraordinary and permanent installation that is engineered not just to endure, but also to inspire.’
The National Maritime Museum reopened Ocean Court, the renamed central atrium area, on 7 June 2025, coinciding with World Ocean Day.
Contact Forbo for more information about its bespoke flooring solutions.
www.forbo.com/flooring/en-uk/commercial-products/bespoke-designer-collections/cp5tf0
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