Soane's Portals to the Past

Bringing a Museum to Life Digitally

Sir John Soane's Museum in London — one of the world's most extraordinary collections of art, architecture, and antiquities — wanted to reach young learners beyond the museum's walls. They needed an interactive digital experience that would connect primary school students with Soane's passion for classical architecture.

The challenge: create an experience where students don't just learn about ancient civilisations, but step inside them — exploring temples, meeting historical figures, and understanding how Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architecture inspired one of Britain's greatest architects.

Three Portals, Three Civilisations

We designed Portals to the Past as a guided adventure through time. Students begin by exploring a digital recreation of Sir John Soane's Museum, where they meet Fan — Soane's beloved dog — who becomes their guide through three magical portals to the ancient world.

Each portal transports students to a different civilisation: the Karnak Temple in Egypt, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia in Greece, and the Pantheon in Rome. At each destination, they meet historical characters, solve architecture-themed puzzles, and learn about classical building techniques before returning to design their own creation in the Design Studio.

What We Built

Soane's Museum

A faithful digital recreation of Sir John Soane's Museum where the adventure begins. Students explore the collection before discovering the magical portals hidden within.

Three Ancient Worlds

Karnak Temple (Egypt), Temple of Zeus at Olympia (Greece), and the Pantheon (Rome) — each built with architectural accuracy and filled with interactive challenges.

Design Studio

After exploring all three civilisations, students apply what they've learned by designing their own architectural creation inspired by classical elements.

From Museum to Classroom

Portals to the Past extends Sir John Soane's Museum's reach far beyond its Lincoln's Inn Fields location, giving every school with Minecraft Education access to a guided architectural adventure through the ancient world.

The experience includes custom NPCs (Fan the dog, John Soane, Eliza Soane, and historical figures from each civilisation), interactive quizzes, colour-mixing activities, pillar puzzles, and a creative design studio — all supported by a comprehensive Teacher Pack with curriculum connections.

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