The Resurgence of Heritage Sites

Heritage spaces carry a weight that new builds can't manufacture. Getting the design right means honouring what exists while making it work for the people walking through the door today, and that tension is exactly what drives our best work.

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From Ferries to Floating Landmarks

WDC Spaces has spent over a decade designing for the marine sector, working with P&O Ferries and Canadian Ferry Operator Marine Atlantic. That depth of experience in complex, heritage-rich environments is what brought the Trustees of the TS Queen Mary to us.

We're now part of the multi-disciplinary team leading the vessel's interior refurbishment taking on the role of lead interior designers for one of the UK's most distinctive floating landmarks.

The brief is clear: preserve the character of the ship and make every space fully functional for 21st-century visitors. Our proposals hold firm to the ship's 1930s maritime identity. The Queen's Restaurant uses deep greens and rich tonal palettes to create a dining space that feels genuinely luxurious, not recreated. The Princess Royal takes a different approach with a lighter, more flexible environment that can shift between uses throughout the day.

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Why heritage sites matter now

There's a measurable shift in how people engage with heritage destinations. Visits to historic sites across the UK have grown consistently over the past five years, and the appetite for authentic, place-led experiences continues to rise. People seek out places that connect them to something beyond the present and well-designed spaces amplify that connection considerably.

The TS Queen Mary is exactly that kind of place. The design challenge is making it feel both preserved and alive.

This project reflects a wider truth about heritage interior design: restraint is a discipline. Knowing what to retain, what to refresh, and what to leave alone is a skill built over years of working in complex, historically significant environments. We bring that to every brief.

Ready to talk about your heritage project?

Whether you're working with a listed building, a historic vessel or a landmark site, WDC Spaces can help you find the right balance between heritage and commercial performance. Get in touch to start the conversation.