Zwinger Xperience
Zwinger Xperience – an immersive permanent exhibition about the architectural history and the genesis of the baroque Zwinger in Dresden, conceived and designed by m box, produced and realized in cooperation with Neumann & Müller.
Together with Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen gGmbH, a scenographic concept was developed that transfers the scientific findings from historic sources into a vibrant media-based exhibition with a high entertainment factor. An essential characteristic of the multimedia scenographic concept is to not exhibit historic artefacts or documents, but to convey the content solely through linear and interactive audiovisual media. In a colonnade only a few meters wide, five immersive spatial sheres have been constructed that give visitors an understanding of the building’s genesis and the historical context in a captivating as much as informative way. The spatial spheres are traversed by the visitors one by one, exploring the various media in use. Starting with the entrance area that features a sound installation with associative carrier objects, the path continues to a virtual 270-degree balloon flight about the construction history of the Zwinger and on to an immersive spatial installation on the significance of the Orangerie. After that follows an impressive staging of a baroque wedding spectacle on the grounds of the Zwinger in a panoramic projection on a rotunda ten meters in length with a dome-like ceiling. In the last sphere, visitors encounter futuristic bicycles, with which they can explore on their own selected architectural-historical phases of the Zwinger complex by means of an interactive VR installation.
The routing is set up in wave shape and undulates between the window front and the wall in order to optimally make use of the narrow layout and to enable a spatial experience from different perspectives. Additionally, a dramaturgical alternation between more dense and focussed areas and more quiet and open ones takes place from one sphere to the next. This results in a pleasant rhythm of lingering and moving on, of contemplation and exploration. The content concept reflects this alternation as well: in the balance of knowledge transfer and experience, of linear and fragmented narration. In this way, a dynamic arc of suspense is created that keeps engaged the visitors’ attention from the beginning to the end of the exhibition without being overloaded.
Languagewise, the exhibition is accessed fully on the auditive level. An interactive 3D audiosystem guides the visitors through the spatial spheres. Each visitor carries along headphones with a tracking module and a device, whereby everyone has an individual and highly immersive sound experience. The digital sound sources are mapped precisely to the visual media and carrier objects, thus appearing real to the max. Dialogues and monologues of historical characters accompany the visitors, inviting them to partake in their thoughts and conversations without directly addressing them. Music, acoustic effects and sound atmos densify the sound carpet and increase the immersive effect in the five spheres.
The overall project management has been the joint responsibility of m box und Neumann & Müller, acting as a bidding consortium. m box was responsible not only for the scenographic concept, but also for the spatial construction and carrier objects, the design and production of all content, the programming, the development and recording of the voice-overs as well as the music and sound design. The media technology planning and the technical planning and realization was done by Neumann & Müller.
