The two maps illustrate the changes that took place in the South Wing of Walton Museum between 2008 and 2012 after a major redevelopment. Overall, the wing was significantly modernised, with new facilities added, several rooms relocated, and the internal layout reorganised to improve visitor flow.
In 2008, visitors entered the museum through a simple entrance that led directly to the reception, which was positioned centrally. To the right of the reception were a reading room and a cloaks room, while on the left side stood a shop and a special exhibition room. Stairs were located in the middle of the building.
By 2012, the layout had been substantially transformed. The old entrance was replaced with a new entrance hall situated further left, next to a newly introduced restaurant. The special exhibition room remained on the far left but appears to have been slightly expanded. The reception and cloaks room were combined and moved closer to the new entrance.
The right-hand side of the wing underwent the most notable changes. The former reading room and cloaks room were replaced by a children’s play area and a self-service room, while the shop was relocated further inside the building. The upper part of this section now contains a larger exhibition room, which occupies the entire top right area.
Overall, the redeveloped layout is more complex and visitor-friendly, offering more services and functional spaces than before.