gsmprjctºcréation was contracted to design and develop the overall concept for the new City Museum of Washington, D.C. — including three permanent galleries, a temporary gallery, and a cutting-edge theatrical multimedia show. The goal was to create modern museum that combines new technology and interactivity with the historic building housing it.
This was a large-scale, turnkey project, involving everything from the design, production, and implementation of public presentations — including audiovisual, multimedia, and interactive technology products — to content research and thematic development. Architectural coordination was also required, as building alterations were necessary to accommodate the exhibits. Complicating matters was the fact that all exhibit components, including the multimedia show were tested in Montreal before being shipped to Washington.
With the museum’s main theme being “Real people live here!” its concept is to tell the story of the people who built Washington, and of its neighbourhoods and communities. As the site allows for only 1,000 square metres of exhibit space in which to deal with a subject as vast as the city itself, gsmprjctº decided that the museum should act as a hub from which visitors are sent out to explore the city’s neighbourhoods by constantly linking content to suggested areas to visit. Permanent displays are designed to be as changeable as possible in order to generate repeat business. Small “Community Galleries” allow neighbourhood groups to present temporary displays, and the multimedia show introduces visitors to the city of Washington as a place of neighbourhoods and real people.