Deutsches Museum (German Museum), Munich Chemistry Section
In August and September 2005 the Deutsches Museum (German Museum) in Munich together with the German Chemical Industry Association ran an ideas competition for the redesign of the Chemistry Section of the Deutsches Museum and die Werft was invited to compete. We worked extremely hard as a team on developing an interactive concept for the redesign of the 2,000-square-metre exhibition space within an extremely tight timeframe.
Under the tagline, “Chemistry – the whole world made up of 112 elements”, visitors head on an equally entertaining and informative path before coming to the – for many, no doubt, startling – conclusion that “everything is chemistry”. A clearly structured setting, featuring lead exhibits and theme islands, guides visitors through the exhibition, with an opportunity for educative interaction along the way and a “reactor” for spectacular experiments as the climax of the tour. A “fundamental thread” running right through the exhibition provides basic information, which can be systematically extended via “expansion booths” and cross-references. Interactive exhibits of everything from airbags to oxyhydrogen gas explosions make the content come alive in a palpable learning experience, which also ties in with the existing practice in the Deutsches Museum of providing press-button options.