RAF Midlands

The RAF Museum at Cosford required a demountable wall system for a new exhibition hall built to house the National Cold War Exhibition. This interior space needed flexible partitioning that could perform structurally and aesthetically while allowing natural light into the hangar-like environment. The solution also had to integrate cleanly with the architecture of the exhibition facility and meet the operational needs of a busy museum environment.  

We designed, manufactured, and installed a bespoke tensile fabric walling system to fulfil the client’s requirements. This included the engineering and installation of the associated steelwork, framework, and trusses that support the PVC fabric panels. The system was crafted to be both practical and visually engaging, creating a removable façade within the exhibition space that could control light, define zones and adapt to changing internal layouts. 

The final tensile fabric structure met the museum’s functional expectations and elevated the exhibition interior. The removable internal walling contributes to spatial flexibility, enabling the Museum to adapt the space as required while maintaining a light-filled environment. 

We have recently revisited the site, almost 20 years after the original installation, to temporarily remove sections of the curtain wall and supporting structure to facilitate the movement of historic aircraft into the hangar. The system’s original design allowed this work to be carried out efficiently, before being fully reinstated to its original performance and appearance, demonstrating the long-term value of a carefully engineered, demountable solution.