I’m Tina Warner and I manage the photographic studio.
Tina, can you describe what your role involves?
Objects come in that need conservation urgently, and consequently photography, so every day is just very different. The objects range from tiny pieces of jewellery up to full size figure heads from ships. It’s extremely diverse and the photography skills that you need are equally diverse.
What was your building like before?
Very old. Very dusty. Full of spiders. There were certain objects that we couldn’t bring into the building because they wouldn’t fit through the doors or they had to go up three flights of stairs. So we spent a lot of time travelling to different locations to photograph objects, which was obviously very time consuming.
How is the new building helping your work?
The accessibility here is amazing. We have this ability to move objects around the building really quickly. And we’re not restricted by size anymore.
How are you finding the open plan offices?
Initially we were quite worried about the open plan office environment, because everybody can hear what you’re saying. But we like it now. It encourages a little bit more social banter and daily interaction with people you might not have seen for months. I think that’s led to thinking about new ways of working and creating further efficiencies within teams as well.
So do you think a community is starting to develop in this building?
Yes, it definitely feels more like a community within the building and with colleagues now. We have a great communal space now where everyone comfortably congregates and eats, so there’s a lot more interaction with other members of staff outside your own team. There’s just a bit more togetherness – even though it’s a really vast building. And I think once we open up to the public, it’s going to bring the building to life even more.
When you walk into the building, how do you feel?
It’s a pleasure to come to work. It’s a lovely environment. I just think it’s a nice space and it has made working much easier for us.