The Museum sits between the new city grid to the east, the city centre to the north and the approach from the west. A formal arrangement of trees is proposed along the promenade adjacent to the river's edge to create a linear park. This positions the Museum at the centre of three very different urban experiences - with the dock and processional ramp marking the break between city and park.

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The building is located on axis with the Discovery and its dock edge and intnetionally off-axis to Union Street. The effect of this is to establish a strong physical and visual relationship with the ship and the existing dock and a more informal relationship with the city grid, in the same way that St Mary's Church at the top of Union Street establishes its civic significance by its non-adherance to the rest of the city grain.

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The pedestrian ramp extends over the existing concrete wall which divides the Discovery dock from the tidal dock and points to the new railway station.

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A large open-air promenade frames views of the water.