Client
Kistler-Ritso Eesti SA
Location
Tallinn, Estonia
Year
2018
Exhibition area
1,100 m²
description
Vabamu is a private contemporary museum in the heart of Tallinn. At the time when the project was commenced, the exhibition was 10 years old and struggled with declining visitor numbers. It was outdated and relied heavily on printed texts and suffered of exhibit overload, with very little visitor interaction.
The new vision was to transform the museum into a modern and attractive destination for all visitors, including youngsters and families, locals, and tourists. It would make use of various technological solutions, bring to focus the common person in the turmoil of history, and encourage reflection and discussion instead of claiming to assert the truth with relevance to the present day and the future.
We decided to think big and double the exhibition space at the expanse of museum collections that were kept on the basement floor and move these to a new location. The visitor path following the exhibition narrative from WW2 to the current day was to be reflected in the natural characteristics of the building. The visitor path goes from the basement to the upper floors, marking a symbolical move from darkness to light, from occupations to freedom.
Creating minimal yet eloquent scenography was a crucial task. Searching for strong symbols for each topic and turning it into a unique, experiential environment became the focal idea. For example, the central element in the room of the Great Escape is a refugee boat, which is surrounded by a projected stormy sea on the floor, starry sky above and sound effects, all of which is supported by graphic design. The Soviet occupation room features a large golden star-shaped table, surrounded by heavy red curtains and blue walls that represent the Soviet Estonia’s flag. Each exhibition room features selected items that reflect a particular experience of their past owner and are connected to a specific story.
An important notion was to steer clear of overwhelming visitors with information. The content was to be conveyed to the visitor bitesized. We eliminated all printed texts and envisioned a visitor experience where the person is accompanied by an invisible companion – a smart audioguide that knows by itself, when and where to activate the content. That developed into a multi-functional e-guide that became the backbone of the exhibition. In addition to storyline audio, it is compatible with stationary video screens in the exhibition and displays texts about artifacts in the exhibition. The e-guide is available in six languages.
We worked with curators, historians, and specialists from the museum and from other institutions. As the topics were wide and concerned questions topical to the entire society, there were many interest groups to consider. The time schedule was very tight as we worked with the aim of opening the museum within the framework of EV100, the 100th anniversary of Estonian independence. We also had to consider the limited financial resources available, which pushed us to think outside the box. Overcoming the challenges resulted in a project that offers a completely new way of experiencing and making sense of history and that we are really proud of.
2019 Golden Egg Design Award Kuldmuna /Design and Environmental Design / Winner
Client
Kistler-Ritso Eesti SA
Location
Tallinn, Estonia
Year
2018
Exhibition area
1,100 m²
Web page
https://www.vabamu.ee/
Scope of work
Concept design, exhibition design, development, production and installation, multimedia concept, content development, design and production, audiovisual media concept, content creation and production, virtual reality game design and programming, interactive exhibits design, development and production, artefacts display and installation, graphic design and project management.
Project
description
Vabamu is a private contemporary museum in the heart of Tallinn. At the time when the project was commenced, the exhibition was 10 years old and struggled with declining visitor numbers. It was outdated and relied heavily on printed texts and suffered of exhibit overload, with very little visitor interaction.
The new vision was to transform the museum into a modern and attractive destination for all visitors, including youngsters and families, locals, and tourists. It would make use of various technological solutions, bring to focus the common person in the turmoil of history, and encourage reflection and discussion instead of claiming to assert the truth with relevance to the present day and the future.
We decided to think big and double the exhibition space at the expanse of museum collections that were kept on the basement floor and move these to a new location. The visitor path following the exhibition narrative from WW2 to the current day was to be reflected in the natural characteristics of the building. The visitor path goes from the basement to the upper floors, marking a symbolical move from darkness to light, from occupations to freedom.
Creating minimal yet eloquent scenography was a crucial task. Searching for strong symbols for each topic and turning it into a unique, experiential environment became the focal idea. For example, the central element in the room of the Great Escape is a refugee boat, which is surrounded by a projected stormy sea on the floor, starry sky above and sound effects, all of which is supported by graphic design. The Soviet occupation room features a large golden star-shaped table, surrounded by heavy red curtains and blue walls that represent the Soviet Estonia’s flag. Each exhibition room features selected items that reflect a particular experience of their past owner and are connected to a specific story.
An important notion was to steer clear of overwhelming visitors with information. The content was to be conveyed to the visitor bitesized. We eliminated all printed texts and envisioned a visitor experience where the person is accompanied by an invisible companion – a smart audioguide that knows by itself, when and where to activate the content. That developed into a multi-functional e-guide that became the backbone of the exhibition. In addition to storyline audio, it is compatible with stationary video screens in the exhibition and displays texts about artifacts in the exhibition. The e-guide is available in six languages.
We worked with curators, historians, and specialists from the museum and from other institutions. As the topics were wide and concerned questions topical to the entire society, there were many interest groups to consider. The time schedule was very tight as we worked with the aim of opening the museum within the framework of EV100, the 100th anniversary of Estonian independence. We also had to consider the limited financial resources available, which pushed us to think outside the box. Overcoming the challenges resulted in a project that offers a completely new way of experiencing and making sense of history and that we are really proud of.
Awards
2019 Golden Egg Design Award Kuldmuna /Design and Environmental Design / Winner