Writing in an article for building.co.uk in 2007, Martin Spring reflected on his return visit to the museum seven years after the first time he saw it.  He said that, "... The museum’s story of Scottish habitation is spread over eight floors in three perimeter wings and a core gallery. The configuration was inspired by a central castle keep with perimeter rampart. The 112,800m2 building was built at a cost of £45m, or £3,475/m2. .... The museum packs in a surprisingly large, diverse collection, covering Scotland from prehistory to the present day, over six main floors and two mezzanines. .... The downside of the high-density layout is that it is labyrinthine, contorted and disorientating, with large and small spaces combined in a seemingly random fashion. It is a topic that draws frequent, yet differing, comments from visitors."

He adds a comment from Catherine Holden, the museum's director of marketing and development.  She said that, "... The building works hand in glove with its exhibits.  They are seen as a seamless whole. Benson & Forsyth designed the museum around its exhibits – hence its distinctive, intricate layout, which contrasts with the more flexible, open-plan layout favoured by other museums. The section on church reformation on the ground floor, for instance, includes a small window looking onto the Greyfriars kirk where religious rebels signed their National Covenant in 1638."