Te Wao Nui interpretation design

Full description

BACKGROUND Interpretation design sits at the nexus of the knowledge domains of interpretation (encompassing aspects of education, psychology and museum studies) and interdisciplinary design practice. Although theorists in interpretation and museums studies, including Falk and Dierking (2000) and Bitgood (2010), espouse the significance of design, research has not examined the theory or practice of multi-form design outputs in interpretive environments constitutive of the TeWaoNui interpretive environment. CONTRIBUTION The $1.2million TeWaoNui interpretation design project drew from interpretation theory in the design of a 3.5 hectare multi-form visitor environment based at the Auckland Zoo. It incorporates sculpture, theming, signage, Maori art and multimedia installations. TeWaoNui addresses a gap in knowledge related to models of practice noted by Woodward (2009) and Weiler (2005), particularly through: development of a suite of agile design tools for communicating to the client multisensory aspects of visitor experience, including the dimension of time, exploration of the impact of project management factors on the design process, and interrogation of how ideas about nature are communicated through design. SIGNIFICANCE TeWaoNui was developed following an international competitive public tender process. To date it is the largest project undertaken by the Auckland Zoo. Not only has TeWaoNui been recognised as a substantial contribution to the field of NZ fauna exhibition in peer review professional publications, but the intepretation design component contributed to it winning the Zoo Aquarium Association Excellence Award in 2012. TeWaoNui has received positive reviews in national media and since it opened the zoo has experienced record visitation, with a 67% increase in international visitors.