Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart
Exhibition, Museum and Gallery for Ralph Appelbaum Associates
Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart re-opened its two central exhibition halls dedicated to the overarching themes of evolution and biodiversity. In Evolution Creates Diversity, six thematic islands with spectacular specimens radiate around a central media table where visitors explore evolutionary concepts, while Immersion in Diversity immerses visitors in a captivating underwater environment exploring the topic of marine biodiversity.
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Unique Properties
Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart re-opened its two central exhibition halls dedicated to the overarching themes of evolution and biodiversity. In Evolution Creates Diversity, six thematic islands with spectacular specimens radiate around a central media table where visitors explore evolutionary concepts, while Immersion in Diversity immerses visitors in a captivating underwater environment exploring the topic of marine biodiversity.
Tags
Natural History, Environment, Biodiversity, Science, Museum, Gallery
Production Technology
The design approach leverages the power of the building’s former courtyard spaces as iconic day-lit halls, and re-utilizes the Museum’s large historic specimens in dramatic new presentation within an immersive scenographic setting filled with intuitive interactive learning tools for exploring complex scientific concepts. The atmosphere of each of the two halls is very different, but each corresponds with the interpretive goals of the museum. The Ocean Hall is completely bathed in dynamic blue light and enables immersion in diverse marine ecosystems. In the Evolution Hall, with a green glowing forest canopy, radially-arranged pedestals and polygonal showcases with carefully poised specimens capture the attention of the visitors. Each island focuses on one aspect of the evolution, and features specimens, information graphics, and digital and analog interactives. A large-scale multimedia table at the center allows groups and individuals to gather and interact in a game-like setting. When designing the media, care was taken to use the media elements in a very targeted and limited way. The two main media productions are the video projection on the cutaway model of the Sei Whale, which brings new life and purpose to an existing historical attraction. The other main media production is a game to help explain the processes of evolution. Both form the centerpieces of each gallery, but the media production itself does not visually dominate the overall experience.
Design Challenge
Biodiversity and evolution are fundamentally important topics for a modern understanding of the world and its many lifeforms. The exhibition aims to no longer present the topics in a textbook-like, instructive manner, but to become more engaging and transparent in the expression of their impact and interrelations. The new exhibitions are conceived in the spirit of public understanding of science, where not only Results and Truths are presented, but Ways and Processes of gaining scientific knowledge are demonstrated. This is especially important with regard to expressing the importance of natural history collections for current and historic research.
Project Duration
This project started in March 2021 and opened to the public on February 17, 2023 at Schloss Rosenstein in Stuttgart, Germany.
Operation Flow
The design of the Ocean Hall and the Evolution Hall aims to create a stunning spectacle that stirs the imagination and feelings of wonder and awe. Each room delivers an immediate visual impression and can be experienced as a ‘big idea’ before diving into secondary and tertiary levels of content. The Ocean Hall as an experiential space which primarily explores diversity and ecosystems. Designed as a space to explore and discover, the hall is organized by habitats, from sea shores to shallow reefs, to the open waters of the oceans and into the depths of the deep-sea bottom. Along the way, information is conveyed through traditional graphics, as well as models, touchable objects, and digital and analog interactives. At the center of the room, the iconic Sei Whale with a projected multimedia show narrates how a single creature’s biology and lifecycle relates to the entire ecosystem or marine life. On the other hand, the Evolution Hall places the focus on the myriad of factors influencing evolutionary processes. Evolution itself is explained in the simplest terms via a media-based game at the center. Each topic 'island' is part of a larger whole, but has its own interpretive messaging structure. In addition to the primary text, further information is conveyed in the form of analog and digital interactives, interactive information graphics, and hands-on objects.
Inspiration
Once courtyards of the castle, both exhibition halls were formerly outdoor spaces, filled with natural light and connected to the surrounding environment. Instead of blocking the natural light we embraced it, filtered and colored it to create a dynamic and immersive scenography of light. The Ocean Hall is dominated by a cutaway model of a sei whale, and the Evolution Hall by a large-scale taxidermy of an African elephant bull and European forest elephant.
Image Credits
Image #1: Photographer Daniel Stauch, Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, 2023. Image #2: Photographer Daniel Stauch, Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, 2023. Image #3: Photographer Daniel Stauch, Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, 2023. Image #4: Photographer Daniel Stauch, Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, 2023. Image #5: Photographer Daniel Stauch, Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History, 2023.
Project Overview
Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart Exhibition, Museum and Gallery has been a Silver winner in the Interior Space and Exhibition Design award category in the year 2024 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Silver A' Design Award celebrates top-tier designs that embody excellence and innovation. This award acknowledges creations that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also highly functional, reflecting the designer's deep understanding and skill. Silver A' Design Award recipients are recognized for their contribution to raising industry standards and advancing the practice of design. Their work often incorporates original innovations and elicits a strong emotional response, making a notable impact on the improvement of everyday life.
Silver Recognition
Ralph Appelbaum Associates was recognized with the coveted Silver A' Design Award in 2025, a testament to excellence of their work Naturkundemuseum Stuttgart Exhibition, Museum and Gallery.
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