My project aims to provide a creative and inspiring space for toddlers and families within The Story Museum located in the heart of the city of Oxford. During the age from zero to three children learn about the world surrounding them and develop their senses through playing. Designing an environment that brings parents together and creates community, intellectually stimulating surroundings and an opportunity to play for everyone, no matter what is their age is crucial to growing a new generation of the museums' visitors. Thus, a generation critical and open-minded thinkers that will shape our future.
Space is divided into smaller units creating a sense of privacy and intimacy. My design aim to create a surprise, unexpected experiences where children can learn and play and parents can get inspired, feel safe and comfortable to play with their children. City of Stories is a place where any stories can happen: today you can climb into a memory foam mountain, experiment with the musical instrument and create unexpected sounds, build your own city or play with the gravity.
Space is divided into small houses. Each of them tells a different story and allows children to play in the more intimate environment.
Unexpected environments aim to create an element of surprise and awaken visitors' imagination as well as encourage them to create their own stories. The foam mountain house is a space where you can play, jump and climb, read and rest.
Build your own city! Different shapes and volumes provide infinite possibilities to express your imagination and build your own city or house.
View of the outside of the playhouses
This is a transition space leading to two different exhibitions: interactive multimedia space for older kids and toddlers space. My aim was to separate this area from the rest of the exhibition while introducing the topic and keeping it exciting. While passing by visitors can experience the city under the sea.
Work in Progress exhibition
The purpose of the exhibition was to get feedback on our projects. I designed feedback cards and asked visitors to draw their favourite childhood games, design their own playhouse or comment and draw suggestions on my design ideas.
Some of the feedback cards that I received:
