Innovations, Western Australian Museum
PERMANENT GALLERY DESIGN
Project Commenced: April 2017
Project Completed: April 2019
Floor Area: 800 – 1000sqm per gallery
Thylacine’s role
- design management
- interpretive design
- graphic design
- media design
- lighting design
Awards
Museums and Galleries National Awards 2021
Best Permanent Exhibition (level 4 budget)
Australian Interior Design Awards 2021
Best of State Western Australia
DNA Paris Design Awards 2021
Winner Interior/Civic design
Dezeen Awards 2021
Longlist Exhibition Design
Innovations
‘Innovations’ explores the themes of ‘Being Western Australian’, ‘Exploring the World’ and ‘Revealing the Museum’. It investigates Western Australia as a place of innovation and creativity, and the Museum as a conduit for new ideas and experiences. It focuses on Western Australian identity through snapshots of artistic representations, scientific and innovative endeavour, exports, and the experiences and outputs of diverse peoples across the State.
The gallery provides a range of experiences and options for visitor engagement and participation, both physically and intellectually. Working with the core theme of innovation and creativity, we incorporated new ways for visitors to connect and respond to content. Here, diverse methods of object display, interactive and innovative uses of new media and programming overlays work together to challenge visitor perceptions of objects and ideas. Visitor participation and engagement are central to ‘Innovations’, with a number of creator hubs providing options for high levels of public engagement with, and active participation in, content.
The ‘Innovations’ gallery actively engages with the heritage space of the Beaufort Exhibition Gallery, responding to its heritage features, among them an activation of the replica Parthenon frieze.
Client – The Western Australian Museum and their stakeholders
Project partners – Iredale Pedersen Hook architects, media designers Mental Media and Eye Candy and lighting designer Illuminated Design
Photography by Peter Bennetts