WINNER
The Holocaust Galleries
by Casson Mann and Squint/Opera, for The Imperial War Museum London
The Imperial War Museum London wanted to develop new permanent displays that were relevant and engaging for its audience, and selected exhibition designers Casson Mann to create The Holocaust Galleries (THG). This new display would hone in on several ideas: that the Holocaust was inextricably linked to WW2; that the Holocaust was not inevitable, but instead followed a chaotic, changing path; and that the Holocaust involved real people – both victims and perpetrators.
Casson Mann responded to the brief by using the physical challenges of the space to support the conceptual message. Composed of twists, turns and dead ends, its design utilises these aspects of the layout to convey that the Holocaust was not inevitable, but “imperfect, dirty and gradual”. Graphics around the space lean on the aesthetic of WW2-era filing documents, while quotes from perpetrators are written on the same typewriter that was used for Nazi deportation orders, referencing the actual people involved. All of the details in THG have been carefully considered, even down to the acoustics of different areas within the gallery, for which they worked with sound designers to ‘tune’ each one accordingly, adding to the overall experience.
The judges said: “A very difficult subject matter that was told poetically and through simple and effective design. The use of sky blue and its meaning was very effective.”
H.C. Andersen's House
by Event, for Odense City Museums
Experience design studio Event won a competition to redesign the Andersen Museum in Odense, Denmark. The birthplace of the world-famous author Hans Christian Andersen, the museum pays homage to his life and legacy, and was selected for major expansion as part of a nation-wide initiative to increase the country’s cultural tourism offer.
Devising a layout that spreads across four ‘realms’ – Biographical, Fairytale, Legacy and Children – Event sought to create a storyworld that lives up to the imagination of one of the world’s greatest storytellers. They incorporated some of Andersen’s classic tales, such as The Little Mermaid and The Ugly Duckling, bringing to life objects from each, as well as some from Andersen’s own life, that visitors can engage with. A particular highlight of the experience is the digital interpretation of the magical elements of the tales, cleverly expressed through binaural and 3D-mapped sound, and augmented and virtual reality. Visitors feel ‘transformed’ by the end of the journey – much like the characters in Andersen’s stories.
National Monument Kamp Amersfoort
by Tinker Imagineers
Kamp Amersfoort was a Nazi concentration camp near the city of Amersfoort in The Netherlands. Recently, a new museum has opened there to shine a light on its history. Dutch design studio Tinker imagineers was tasked with designing the museum and given a brief to make visitors aware that the story of Kamp Amersfoort touches on universal themes that are still relevant today.
With this in mind, the agency wanted to play on several contrasts with its design – such as right and wrong, life and death, and remembering and forgetting. These informed its design principles, and have been incorporated into the architecture, landscape and exhibition space of the museum. The latter is dominated by a sober palette of black, white and grey, contrasting with warmer materials and different coloured lights to hint at the gravity of the history while allowing the space to retain a comfortable feel. Old footage of the camp, portraits of individuals that were stationed there, and a Virtual Reality experiment serve to highlight the aforementioned themes that are a crucial part of the camp’s story. Before leaving, visitors enter a room for contemplation, where they can reflect on their own personal relationships to these themes.
State Ethnological Museum and Museum of Asian Art at the Humboldt Forum
by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, for Humboldt Forum
Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) was approached by the Humboldt Forum in Berlin to design several permanent exhibitions for the State Ethnological Museum and Museum of Asian Art, which represent Germany’s most comprehensive non-European collections. They were asked to develop a strategy for thematic exhibition modules, family areas, activity rooms, listening spaces, multimedia installations and visible study collections.
Though its main task was designing for the initial installations, RAA’s versatile approach also accounted for future exhibitions and public programs. The exhibitions themselves were organised by continents and geographical regions, with each one individually and thematically curated. A deep understanding of the aesthetics and conservation requirements for the thousands of objects on display was required and necessitated close collaboration with the curators. 530 specialty showcases were designed for the collection, as well as over 12,000 object mounts which can be adapted to each object’s presentation requirements. In line with RAA’s vision of an adaptable space, there are also several large-scale flexible showcases for current and future displays.
Exhibition Design
shortlisted