From the outside, the museum sits inside the Lafayette Building on Westmoreland Street, a late 19th-century structure designed by J.J. O’Callaghan. The façade stands out with its Portland stone finish, Gothic arches, terracotta detailing, and an ornate projecting window. Look closely and you’ll even spot a royal coat-of-arms linked to its original use during the photography boom of the Queen Victoria era. The historic exterior was carefully preserved during a later redevelopment, which added modern glass elements around it.
Inside, the experience changes completely. The museum spreads across three floors, built around a tall central atrium from an earlier office conversion. Instead of open halls, you move through a sequence of themed rooms connected by staircases and corridors. Each space is designed as its own setting, with controlled lighting, sound, and layouts guiding how you move and what you notice. The structure supports a continuous flow, where one environment leads directly into the next without breaking the mood.
