Client:
Zamek Królewski Wawel
Year:
2022
Designers:
Natalia Jakóbiec, Katarzyna Pełka-Bura, Marcin Krater, Marta Żmija-Wojciuch, Karolina Wiśniewska, Anna Dudziak, Marta Milej
Photo:
Radosław Kaźmierczak
The "New Crown Treasury'' consists of 12 rooms filled with the most important and valuable items in the Royal Wawel Castle's collection. The arrangement of the exhibition is minimalistic and mysterious – it emphasizes the rank and uniqueness of the presented exhibits.
The play of light and shadows is not only the crucial visual element of the project, but it is also its main design idea. Objects emerge from the dark. The arrangement discreetly emphasizes the historic interiors and draws attention to the most important objects. Simple, minimalistic forms of display elements are made of precious materials and constitute a background for the most important "heroes" of the exhibition. All in an elegant way that harmonizes with historic interiors. Gold shimmers and appears in the details of the arrangement – in the carriers of visual information and typography or details of the showcases.
The permanent exhibition is timeless, but diverse enough to be interesting each time and inspire viewers to rediscover it. The visitor explores objects and curiosities like an adventure seeker or archaeologist. The arrangement encourages independent discovery of the treasures.
In every room there is one most important exhibit, chosen as a visual highlight. For example in the second room where the bridles are the most important exhibit, replicas of horses are the most visible element, additionally surrounded with mirrors to emphasize the impression. The whole arrangement of the last room is arranged like a chessboard - every object is in a niche and together they compile a chessboard pattern. The visitor has the impression of being inside the game.
Educational elements also appear in the exhibition space e.g. replicas of objects or sound elements. Solutions are convenient for all users. A path with hidden coins was created for the youngest visitors. Children have to find them along the sightseeing route. Replicas of some objects were created for the blind and visually impaired. They are also an educational element used by the staff during museum lessons. Besides that, there are some tactile graphics along the route. Typography is presented in high contrast to be legible. Moreover, the size of fonts was adapted to the dark environment.
Some educational stations have sound recordings. Films and multimedia animations complement the presentation of objects. We use the technology to underline the beauty of the collection. In the "Kunstkamera" room the objects show up and hide because of implementing the interactive glass solution. The chessboard gifted to the king plays a prominent role here, while other exceptional objects were arranged in a chessboard pattern. Visitors can see all the items at the same time in a sequence or a selected section of the collection(e.g. only jewelry).
Ergonomic, comfortable seats have been designed specifically for museum employees, who can use them during work. The staff can hide personal belongings or a bottle of water in the back pockets of the armchairs. On the exhibition route there are also some discreet seats for the visitors.
Visual identification of the exhibition was an important part of the project and included the logo of the exhibition and the promotional campaign. Logo design was inspired by the embroidery on the most important object of the whole exhibition – the Mantle of a Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit, which was a gift from the French king Louis XIV to the Polish king John III Sobieski. Promotional campaign which included posters, citylights, banners, advertisement poles, billboards, internet materials and invitations, showed particular objects from the Treasury. They were shown in a minimalistic way - the exhibit emerging from the shadows and accompanying typography. Typeface Nocturne was chosen due to its elegance and correspondence with the feeling of the exh