Client
SA Elamuskeskus Tuuletorn
Location
Hiiumaa, Estonia
Year
2020
Exhibition area
800 m²
Scope of work
Concept design, exhibition design, development, manufacturing and installation, technical design, content creation and development, multimedia and audiovisual media concept, content development, design and production, Interactive exhibits design, development and manufacturing, artifacts display and installation, CVI, graphic design and project management.
Client
SA Elamuskeskus Tuuletorn
Location
Hiiumaa, Estonia
Year
2020
Exhibition area
800 m²
Web page
https://tuuletorn.ee/
Scope of work
Concept design, exhibition design, development, manufacturing and installation, technical design, content creation and development, multimedia and audiovisual media concept, content development, design and production, Interactive exhibits design, development and manufacturing, artifacts display and installation, CVI, graphic design and project management.
description
The 2nd biggest island in Estonia, Hiiumaa is a pristine and unique place that is rich with history, untouched nature, local culture, and traditions. Hiiumaa is special not only to its inhabitants but to a community of summer residents and frequent visitors who have fallen in love with the windy island and prefer it over any other location for rest and recuperation. It has been said that time flows differently in Hiiumaa, and the island has a lot to offer to those who are able to tune in to its distinct way of being.
While Hiiumaa has numerous nature sites and a few museums that welcome visitors, it lacked a modern, interactive family centre that would introduce Hiiumaa and attract both locals, tourists from the rest of Estonia and from abroad. As the number of inhabitants decrease over cold season and there are less activities and events for locals to attend, there was a need for an indoor site that would offer leisure time activities and entertainment. In the same complex as Windtower are already a swimming pool and a bowling alley, and it now features the highest climbing wall in the Baltics with whopping 20 metres.
The 2nd biggest island in Estonia, Hiiumaa is a pristine and unique place that is rich with history, untouched nature, local culture, and traditions. Hiiumaa is special not only to its inhabitants but to a community of summer residents and frequent visitors who have fallen in love with the windy island and prefer it over any other location for rest and recuperation. It has been said that time flows differently in Hiiumaa, and the island has a lot to offer to those who are able to tune in to its distinct way of being.
While Hiiumaa has numerous nature sites and a few museums that welcome visitors, it lacked a modern, interactive family centre that would introduce Hiiumaa and attract both locals, tourists from the rest of Estonia and from abroad. As the number of inhabitants decrease over cold season and there are less activities and events for locals to attend, there was a need for an indoor site that would offer leisure time activities and entertainment. In the same complex as Windtower are already a swimming pool and a bowling alley, and it now features the highest climbing wall in the Baltics with whopping 20 metres.
The greatest challenge of creating the exhibition was to make sure that Windtower would not be a centre planted to the island by outsiders but would become a valued and visited place by the local community. To achieve that, we worked closely with historians, photographs, actors, scientists, and many inhabitants of the island to build an exhibition that would feel their own. As Hiiumaa is loved by many, these enthusiasts were not hard to find and their contribution to the exhibition is invaluable.
The thought we kept in mind while planning the exhibition was to find balance between showing enough and not trying to fit the entire island into the building – after all, the island is right there behind the walls of Windtower, waiting to be explored. Thus, the aim became to give the visitor teasers of everything there is to be found in Hiiumaa and inspire them to visit other sites after Windtower. We focussed on making the exhibition interactive and a creative spatial experience that would impress with design and entertain with interactive and hands-on solutions.
The greatest challenge of creating the exhibition was to make sure that Windtower would not be a centre planted to the island by outsiders but would become a valued and visited place by the local community. To achieve that, we worked closely with historians, photographs, actors, scientists, and many inhabitants of the island to build an exhibition that would feel their own. As Hiiumaa is loved by many, these enthusiasts were not hard to find and their contribution to the exhibition is invaluable.
The thought we kept in mind while planning the exhibition was to find balance between showing enough and not trying to fit the entire island into the building – after all, the island is right there behind the walls of Windtower, waiting to be explored. Thus, the aim became to give the visitor teasers of everything there is to be found in Hiiumaa and inspire them to visit other sites after Windtower. We focussed on making the exhibition interactive and a creative spatial experience that would impress with design and entertain with interactive and hands-on solutions.
The exhibition is spread over five floors and guides the visitor through layers of Hiiumaa. Beginning with the mysterious underwater Hiiumaa, the visitor is welcomed by a monumental 15-metre animation, long lost treasures from shipwrecks and hands-on exhibits for kids. The 2nd floor is all about the senses as the visitor arrives at the coast and can smell, touch, and listen to the rich life of seaside. Moving up a floor, the visitor finds themselves in the midst of Hiiumaa’s stories and legends as the audiovisual solutions, interactive games and built scenes welcome newcomers to Hiiumaa’s culture and society.
4th floor offers visitors a chance to sit, relax and reflect on what makes Hiiumaa so special. Featuring a series of interviews with locals and a short film by renowned cinematographer Mart Taniel, it gives the floor to the locals and their feelings about the island. 5th floor is the sky level and it is targeted for children, and children at heart. With plenty of opportunities to climb, jump, build, and try out exhibits, kids can really be in their own element there. Finally, a roof terrace with a magnificent wind chime offers a view to the surroundings and finishes off the exhibition.
The exhibition is spread over five floors and guides the visitor through layers of Hiiumaa. Beginning with the mysterious underwater Hiiumaa, the visitor is welcomed by a monumental 15-metre animation, long lost treasures from shipwrecks and hands-on exhibits for kids. The 2nd floor is all about the senses as the visitor arrives at the coast and can smell, touch, and listen to the rich life of seaside. Moving up a floor, the visitor finds themselves in the midst of Hiiumaa’s stories and legends as the audiovisual solutions, interactive games and built scenes welcome newcomers to Hiiumaa’s culture and society.
4th floor offers visitors a chance to sit, relax and reflect on what makes Hiiumaa so special. Featuring a series of interviews with locals and a short film by renowned cinematographer Mart Taniel, it gives the floor to the locals and their feelings about the island. 5th floor is the sky level and it is targeted for children, and children at heart. With plenty of opportunities to climb, jump, build, and try out exhibits, kids can really be in their own element there. Finally, a roof terrace with a magnificent wind chime offers a view to the surroundings and finishes off the exhibition.
Windtower offers something for everyone. Each floor has activities, hands-on and interactive exhibits for children. Historic exhibits, information, and interactive solutions both educational and for entertainment delight the adults and older school children. Visitors can learn Hiiu language, learn about the culture and nature, explore abundant audiovisual material and test their skills with hands-on exhibits. The brave ones are expected at the climbing wall where both individual climbing and lessons are offered. Café in Windtower offers delights from local cuisine and the rest of the island awaits exploring with the tips gathered from Windtower.
Windtower offers something for everyone. Each floor has activities, hands-on and interactive exhibits for children. Historic exhibits, information, and interactive solutions both educational and for entertainment delight the adults and older school children. Visitors can learn Hiiu language, learn about the culture and nature, explore abundant audiovisual material and test their skills with hands-on exhibits. The brave ones are expected at the climbing wall where both individual climbing and lessons are offered. Café in Windtower offers delights from local cuisine and the rest of the island awaits exploring with the tips gathered from Windtower.
2019 Estonian Annual Museum Prize / Best Permanent Exhibition / Winner
2019 Estonian Design Awards / Special prize Silver for Permanent Exhibition / Estonian Museum of Architecture „Interactive Book“
