German scenographer Atelier Brückner has an impressive list of projects to its name. Last year InAVate covered the company’s work at the visitors´ centre for CERN, home of the Large Hadron Collider. We’ve also paid a visit to Parlamentarium, an exhibition that explores the European Union and explains the function of European Parliament. That project is covered in this issue.

Atelier Brückner’s projects demonstrate thought about and understanding of the subjects they deal with. Ideas, concepts and information become tangible for visitors as they are presented creatively and powerfully. Technology is used effectively and sensitively.

The agency seems to have got something right and a large part of its success is down to the diverse backgrounds it draws its staff from. Architects work alongside scenographers, historians, product designers and graphic designers to create dramatic, well-presented projects.

René Walkenhorst is a project manager and associate at the company. Whilst design and conception of the Parlamentarium project came from Britta Nagel, a partner in the firm; Walkenhorst is credited with realising her ideas and arranging the technical aspects of the project.

Walkenhorst started working for the company in 2005. An exhibition he embarked on when he joined the company only opened last year, which is testament to the care and attention that goes into Atelier Brückner’s projects. "The Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum in Cologne is an ethnological museum," explains Walkenhorst. "The process that we go through is like developing a scenographical idea based on the content provided. This can be a long process, typically lasting two to four years. We go through all the content and objects with the client and discuss how it will be presented and grouped. It’s a long task."

AV technologies play a big part in the presentation of information and artefacts. "Decisions about how AV technology is going to be used run parallel to these thoughts and discussions," Walkenhorst continues. "It’s an instrument for us to use to present the ideas we want to present. We always remain focussed on the possibility to use state of the art, but supporting AV technologies.

"However, we always come from a point of view of asking: ‘what do we want to achieve?’ We integrate these solutions into architecture, into the content, into the narrative space. We make spaces that tell stories. Media, in the right place, can allow a visitor or a client to experience more from the content."

Atelier Brückner and Walkenhorst have welcomed advances in AV technology. As solutions become more sophisticated, cheaper or in some cases smaller they become more flexible, versatile and useful for anyone designing public spaces.

"You can project on to spaces, you can integrate media into spaces, you can use audio files, implement interactive content. It allows communications between people, visitors and the spaces themselves. But what we don’t do is find a new technology and build something around it. We think about our content and then we research for the best tool to present it."

It’s important for Walkenhorst to keep up to date with technology developments so he is aware of the tools at his disposal. He explains: "We read magazines, we go to exhibitions, we have fairs or expos. The internet is great resource to learn about new media installations has become a great research tool. We saw a multitouch screen four to five years ago on YouTube and now they’re used everywhere. Developments usually start with artists or some very small inventors who create these tools because of a passion for the technology."

Another part of the design process is for Atelier Brückner to understand how visitors respond to, interact with and enjoy exhibitions. "We always try and include a feedback section. We try and learn from that. We try and see if the next project can be even better. In a way we are constantly evolving our ideas according to how people are using the spaces we create.

"You have to consider it from the point of view of a family that knows little about the exhibition they are going to see. You have to attract them to the objects and content. A museum can show some very nice objects or content but if you don’t get the visitor involved then you have made a mistake. That means it is not presented in the right way. Your visitor will get distracted. "

"For example if you go to an exhibition with very nice artefacts and just some small text many visitors will not be attracted. They won’t understand what is behind these objects. What is interesting or unique about them. What their family context is. An object can tell a lot of stories and if you don’t convey this to visitors then that is a mistake."

However, in this effort to engage Walkenhorst stresses that company is still very aware that they are working on exhibition spaces. "We’re not trying to bring something out that is better than the latest PlayStation for example. We can’t compete in that field. What we have to do is make the content interesting not the device to convey it. We have to make attractive spaces, which are real and not virtual. I think there will be a renaissance in real spaces combined with media. They will become more attractive than just virtual spaces."

So how did Walkenhorst go from trained architect to project manager at Atelier? "I studied architecture then worked on office buildings, hospitals and theatres for more than three years in Hamburg," he answers. "After that I became self-employed to embark on the sort of projects I handle now. When I studied architecture there were no specialised subjects that you can study now. Today you can study scenography or disciplines directly related to museums. But ten years ago you could only study architecture or interior architecture or some small media studies courses. Therefore I largely had to learn on the job.

"I felt a little restricted by the architecture I had studied. I was dealing with technologies like HVAC and climate materials. I found it more interesting to work on content. I am still learning a lot in this job, for example about the technologies and content we integrate. I have learnt a lot about the European Parliament Legislation during our work on the Parlamentarium. So on the one hand you have the design process and on the other hand you have to become an expert on the client. Truly understand what he does, what his ideas are and what he wants to achieve."

And that sums up Atelier’s work quite well. Each project is a journey. The company listens, designs and delivers a project unleashing is full complement of designers, architects and historians to create installations that are unique every time.