Kossmanndejong has designed 'The Story of Gardening,' a brand-new museum about gardening at a large country estate in the English county of Somerset. The exhibition lets visitors discover legendary gardens and meet visionary garden designers.
Gardens are ideal places to move through and to experience with all your senses. That is why the spatial, visual, but also aural experience predominate in this exhibition. Even scent and touch play a role. Following a walk across the country estate, you leave your shoes behind at the entrance to the museum and you walk on socks over grass, stones and traditional Japanese tatami mats. No text, only the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects.
An audio tour reinforces the experience with unique and informative stories that start playing depending on which space you are in. Using a virtual reality (VR) headset, you can visit the 'Monet's Garden' in Giverny or the 'Tivoli Gardens' in Rome. Through special interactive presentations, it shows visitors the importance of water and sun, the life under the soil, biodiversity and numerous other basic conditions for a healthy and beautiful garden.
Kossmanndejong developed the overarching concept and designed the entire exhibition right down to the smallest details, from the VR show to the hunt for children. The studio was also responsible for building and developing the content.
Photography: Tara Fallaux