Supporting a London museum’s global charitable project
Inside Special Projects
Our Special Projects series showcases the most complex and remarkable relocations we deliver worldwide. In this edition, we highlight the cultural sector with a time-critical project for a leading London museum.
Santa Fe Relocation was approached by a well-known London museum, a valued client we regularly support with staff relocations around the world. This time, however, the request went beyond relocation services.
The museum was refurbishing one of its exhibition areas and needed to remove several interactive displays. Instead of decommissioning them, the museum made the decision to donate the exhibits to a partner institution in Africa, as part of its charitable commitment to education and cultural exchange. The museum also agreed to fund the cost of shipping, ensuring the items could continue to inspire and engage in their new home.
A time-critical challenge
The project required three large interactive exhibits to be dismantled, packed, and shipped within an exceptionally tight timeframe. Work could only be carried out overnight while the museum was closed to the public. By the following morning, new displays had to be fully installed and operational for visitors. Timing, precision and coordination were critical.
Santa Fe conducted an out-of-hours survey of the exhibits to assess their structure, condition, and handling requirements. Our project managers worked closely with the museum team to create a detailed plan that covered dismantling, protective packing, crating, and secure container loading, all within a single night. Extra measures were taken to preserve the sensitive, interactive components to guarantee they arrived in perfect condition.
Coordination without compromise
Another challenge was the parallel installation of the museum’s new exhibits, handled by a separate specialist team. Santa Fe coordinated closely to ensure both operations could run side by side, with access routes kept clear and schedules aligned. Every minute of the night was accounted for, with our project managers orchestrating the sequence of dismantling, crating, loading and handover to the installation team.
By morning, the transformation was complete. The new exhibits were in place and ready for visitors, while the donated items were safely packed and secured for shipment to Africa. The museum successfully achieved its refurbishment goals without disruption and advanced its charitable mission to share knowledge and culture internationally.
Precision, partnership, and impact
This project demonstrates Santa Fe’s expertise beyond traditional relocation: our ability to adapt under pressure, plan meticulously, and partner with clients to deliver against exacting requirements. It highlights how our Special Projects teams manage not only the technical demands of complex logistics, but also the human and cultural importance behind them.
Through careful planning and flawless execution, Santa Fe helped extend the life of valuable educational assets, supporting the international reach of one of London’s leading cultural institutions.
Special Projects made easy
Adam Sloan
Managing Director, Asia
adam.sloan@santaferelo.com
Alistair Hunt
UK Sales Director
alistair.hunt@santaferelo.com
Olivier Jourdan
Chief Commercial Officer
olivier.jourdan@santaferelo.com
