Pacific Innovations

Project
Pacific Innovations
Industry
Exhibition Design / Museum Design / Spatial Design
Institution
University of Southampton
Services
  • Exhibition design
  • Spatial design
  • Research
  • Visual communication
Collaborators
  • Ali Treanor
  • Fiona Pitt
  • Saranki Sri
  • Emelia Tomlinson

Reimagining museum exhibitions through indigenous perspectives and spatial storytelling.

Context

This collaborative undergraduate project explored Pacific technologies documented during Captain James Cook’s voyages, reinterpreting traditional museum displays through contemporary exhibition design.

The project challenged conventional museum narratives by placing indigenous knowledge and cultural perspectives at the centre of the visitor experience.

A line-drawn visualisation of the exhibition entrance - a Pacific outrigger canoe raised on a stand before a Pacific-centred globe and the Pacific Innovations title wall.

Challenge

The objective was to design an exhibition that moved beyond chronological display, creating a more immersive and culturally responsive interpretation of Pacific technologies.

Our Approach

Rethinking the Exhibition

The exhibition replaced traditional linear layouts with flowing spatial forms inspired by Pacific landscapes, encouraging visitors to experience objects through narrative rather than sequence.

Designing the Experience

Architecture, lighting, graphics, and visual storytelling were developed together to create an exhibition environment that reflected the cultural significance of the artefacts.

Exhibition Drawings - spatial plan, perspective, and elevation studies

  • Top-down floor plan of the exhibition - flowing organic gallery pods arranged around a central Pacific-centred globe, replacing a linear museum layout.
  • A one-point perspective drawing of a gallery room with wall display cases and a central plinth.
  • A gallery wall elevation - a framed Pacific watercolour and display case shown to scale beside a visitor silhouette.

The Work

Researched Pacific technologies and museum interpretation.

Developed the spatial concept and exhibition narrative.

Produced architectural visualisations, artwork, and presentation material.

Collaborated on exhibition planning and visitor experience design.

Impact

  • Foregrounding Indigenous Perspectives

    The project explored alternative approaches to museum storytelling by foregrounding indigenous perspectives through spatial design.

  • Reshaping Cultural Narratives

    The exhibition proposed a visitor experience that combined spatial design, light, and narrative to present Pacific technologies through a cohesive interpretive journey.

Selected Works

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