London Children's Museum unveils new look designed by California firm

The London Children's Museum unveiled the first glimpses of its new $14 million space inside the old Kellogg's plant on Dundas Street, designed by California-based design firm Gyroscope Inc.

The Oakland-based company is responsible for revamping dozens of cultural institutions in the United States, such as the Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle. Gyroscope's redesign of the London Children's Museum is the first time the firm has ever taken on such a project in Canada. 

The London Children's Museum has been working with the firm for the past six months to come up with a vision of what the new museum will look like, according to the museum's executive director Amanda Conlon.

"[They] really are experts in designing innovative spaces for children," she said. "As part of that work, we connected with the community and really heard what they wanted in terms of hopes and dreams." 

As part of its research, Gyroscope consulted with hundreds of local children and their families in order to get to know the region and design a museum specifically tailored to the community. 

The new Children's Museum will feature eight immersive and interactive areas for children and their families, including a new mini main street, a river exhibit, a garden patio on the roof and a room where visitors can dig up fossils.