Interactive exhibition area

The State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart is home to one of the most important natural history collections in Europe with over 12 million artefacts and is the third largest research museum in Germany. Under the aspects of >Fresearch and presentation< the collections are still being continuously expanded today. The Natural History Museum is characterised by the combination of natural history research and a wide range of educational and public outreach activities. At the Museum am Löwentor, the focus is on palaeontology and geology. The redesign of the permanent exhibition will be completed with a further exhibition area entitled “Tertiär – Born of Catastrophe”. 

This newly designed area is made up of two different sections. The first part tells the story of the extinction of the dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous period: from volcanism and the impact of an asteroid to climate change. The subsequent Tertiary period, the age from the asteroid impact 66 million years ago to the Ice Age 2.6 million years ago, marks the beginning of the mammalian era. The museum would like to see an emotional staging for this area. The second, factually staged section deals with the five major extinction events of contemporary history, the “Big Five”, and the climate. The context of this period and its events must be presented in an understandable way and the exhibits staged in a contemporary way. With our exhibition design, we want visitors to become curious and interact with the exhibits. 

Our research, which includes participant observation and interviews with the target group, provides us with valuable insights on which we base our concept. We initially implement this in the form of a model and various prototypes. In close collaboration with the scientists at the Natural History Museum, the concept is constantly being refined. In the first section, the Cretaceous period with its drastic changes is staged as an emotional experience. We attach particular importance to appealing to different senses and making history tangible for visitors. Hands-on exhibits are enhanced by digital media. For example, the asteroid impact can be simulated and there is also an interactive wall that can be controlled by touch. At various audio stations, we get to the bottom of the question of what the world might have sounded like back then. 

Impressive artefacts from this period are displayed in black showcases with the right lighting. In the second section, visitors follow in the footsteps of the five great mass extinctions. A slider is used to control an infographic that visualises the connections between the “Big Five”. The specialised public can find out more about the mass extinctions using a detailed diagram with in-depth information. VISUELL is also responsible for developing and programming the interactive elements. The team coordinates the work on site during construction. The walls and interactive stations designed by us are complemented by a life-size model of a Triceratops head that protrudes into the room. The result is a harmonious overall picture that invites visitors to explore the two areas.