Enabled by the National Archives' Records at Risk fund, the University of Leicester have acquired Casson Mann's archive - over 20 years worth of ideas, drawings and plans relating to our many previous projects. The university's Archives and Special Collections department are conducting the review, appraisal and repackaging of these records, making them accessible to future researchers, students and the general public.

Vicky Holmes, University Archivist, says: “We are very grateful to the Records at Risk and business archives teams at the National Archives who suggested an application to Records at Risk when we first got in touch with them to request advice about a collection we knew was at risk. We are so pleased that we will be able to start processing work, and in due course make these records available to researchers.”  

Suzanne MacLeod says ‘I am thrilled that the National Archives have acknowledged the importance of our work to secure the Casson Mann archive. The work is part of a larger project to create a Museum Design Archive holding the archives of the leading museum design studios that were active in reshaping museums from the 1970s up to the present. Casson Mann was founded in 1984 and since then has delivered numerous galleries and museum projects around the world, from the British Galleries at the V&A in 2001 to the Musée national de La Marine in Paris in 2023. A key studio active in the revolution in museum design made possible by the introduction of Lottery funding, it is wonderful that we have been able to secure this archive for students, researchers and designers.’ 

Roger Mann, Director and Co-Founder of Casson Mann says, ‘We are delighted to have found a permanent home for our design archive, and grateful to the National Archives and Leicester’s School of Museum Studies for creating this opportunity. We have worked on so many projects over the years – each one wonderful and challenging in its own way. It is rewarding to know that all the preparation, the thinking and ideas will be preserved and may be of use to future researchers.’

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