Housed within the newly reopened Sarawak Museum now known as the Borneo Cultures Museum, we were approached to design the new gift shop for the museum that would house a wide variety of objects ranging from local basketry, sculptures, jewellery, books, paintings, food, stationery and clothing. Facing time & budget constraints including physical spatial limitations, we kept the interior minimal by maintaining the existing structural elements such as the mezzanine level and stairs that overlooked into the main gallery space.

Taking advantage of the existing high ceiling, we drew attention to the vertical space by suspending custom-designed pendant lamps of different sizes woven by indigenous artisans from one of the villages in Betong, Sarawak.

Hung at different, staggered levels, these light ‘drums’ were designed to appear as if they were floating above the central main space; signifying the unique relevance of the local weaving artform to the local community and beyond. The design brief included designing shelves and plinths for both display and storage, as well as a cashier counter that displayed specially curated items for retail.