Networks of the Past Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya

At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, Networks of the Past: The Gallery redefines how history is experienced- shifting the narrative from isolated civilizations to a richly interconnected global framework. Designed by Matrika Design Collaborative in collaboration with the British Museum and CSMVS, the project brings together scholarship, design, and technology in a cohesive spatial narrative. Housed within the 104-year-old Coomaraswamy Hall, the project navigates the complexities of inserting a contemporary museum experience within a heritage structure. The design adopts a non-invasive strategy, ensuring that the Indo-Saracenic architectural shell remains intact while introducing reversible, precisely detailed exhibition systems. At its core, the gallery departs from chronological storytelling, instead organising content through thematic lenses such as agriculture, trade, writing, and life. Civilizations including China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Persia, and India are presented in dialogue, enabling visitors to draw connections across geography and time. Spatially, the design reinforces this narrative through carefully orchestrated movement and visual alignment. Long sightlines cut across the gallery, allowing multiple artifacts and themes to coexist within a single frame- subtly reinforcing the idea of continuity and exchange. Despite accommodating over 300 artifacts, the layout achieves clarity through an object-led approach, where each display is tailored to the artifact’s scale, material, and conservation needs. Material and colour further mediate the experience. Deep olive greens and rich blues create depth while enhancing object legibility, while integrated lighting and environmental systems ensure museum-grade precision without visual intrusion. More than an exhibition, Networks of the Past positions the museum as a space of inquiry- where history unfolds as a network of relationships, inviting visitors to engage, reflect, and reinterpret the ancient world through a contemporary lens.