STORYFINDERS
- INTERPRETATION STRATEGY
The Brief:
"How can we reveal the stories of Baring Head to visitors and create exciting and memorable experiences whilst protecting heritage features?"
Baring head has many wonderful but unseen stories waiting to be discovered and experienced. This project sought to rethink traditional park signage and develop a fun and immersive storytelling system. A headland only 40 minutes drive from Wellington CBD, the site boasts a variety of geographical, archaeological, ecological and recreational aspects including the Baring Head lighthouse complex across a 3hr return trek.
The Storyfinder is a solid structure of COR-TEN steel, with wooden viewing glasses, image reel housing, and a structural stone detail to blend into the landscape. The glasses view one illustrated scene at a time which are housed in an acrylic wheel; by turning the wheel, the user can experience the unseen history through superimposed illustrations. Several storyfinders would be scattered across the landscape in a carefully considered way to help the public navigate their way through the park, whilst also uncovering the rich history of Baring Head.
We were honoured to be asked to continue this project beyond the university brief.
In collaboration with: Rachel Neser, Anna Hamilton, Brittany McCracken and Ellie Tuckey
"Really well done, exceeding our expectations of what we thought we could get out of this project. The low tech aspect works really well - you can never rely on technology."