Queensland Holocaust Museum

QUEENSLAND HOLOCAUST MUSEUM
LIVE EXPERIENCE

LOCATION

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

SCOPE

Strategy
Creative Design and Development
Logistics
Production
Brand Activations
Assets Build
Performance and Operations

SETTING A NEW MUSEUM BENCHMARK.

Designing Queensland’s first holocaust museum, our goal was to build a world-class environment to promote tolerance and understanding – adding to the cultural fabric via a fusion of the live and digital. Our team had the guiding intention to develop a museum experience unlike anything else seen in Australia: a place to learn, then lead.

A key objective was to document the lives of survivors that made Queensland their home and to educate the public on their experience. Further we needed to open the museum as soon as possible within a heritage listed building – requiring exacting, innovative and non-traditional design.

Educational goals focused on informing about key elements sensitively, targeting school students and the wider Queensland community. Our team’s intention was to develop a museum experience that was not offensive nor too graphic while creating a unique sensory experience.

Complexity and challenges unique to the museum’s location posed challenges requiring a depth of thinking from the outset. Through effective planning, design, detail around heritage constraints, stakeholder engagement and approvals - delivery was seamless. Factoring in the re-use of materials and displays was also important given the museum’s temporary location.

We designed guiding zones for visitors to anchor their experience in a structured, cohesive and compelling way. Visitor engagement is further optimised by cleverly aligning elements from the digital interactive museum with the physical museum.

Sensory in design attention was given to lighting, audio, graphics, textures and artefact displays for a balanced, impactful and transformative experience.  

A REIMAGINED MUSEUM EXPERIENCE.

With a guiding ‘safely in, safely out’ design ethos, and intention of developing a museum experience unlike anything else seen in Australia, we designed to attract diverse audiences –from survivors, families, and historians to students and the wider community.

We set out to be transformative. Designing for sensory layers within the sunken heritage listed space connecting visitors further to the stories of survivors. Unable to make physical changes or to add fixtures to the building, we worked with the unique characteristics of the space ensuring the design complimented the overall experience across all touchpoints.

The audience’s journey was shaped from the main entry down to the museum area and throughout. Special consideration was given to lighting and the display of artefacts: creating zones and spaces to host large visitor numbers while feeling personal.

“Our aim was to boldly reimagine the museum experience. We used the elements of dimension and discovery - including footage never before seen in Australia and interviews with survivors whose stories are compelling eye-witness accounts. To achieve resonance, we drew inspiration from a wide range of inputs - architecture, film, literature, music, poetry, and art matched to latest digital technologies and sustainable design practices. An experience designed for empathy, understanding, reflection and connection.”

Adam Mortimer, Head of Brand Experience & Strategy

MEMORY MAKING.

World-building: a space shaped intentionally to be explored and discovered we created zones and areas to engage and draw in visitors. Sensory overlays of audio and lighting provide a sense of belonging and connection. Special consideration was given to the lighting of artefacts; the use of content reimagined - comprising moving image, stills and VR/AR/AI and creative technologies. Visual and audio immersive zones were created to place the visitor within multi-projection environment, creating powerful and lasting impact. An enclosed, high-impact viewing area was created inside a replica cattle-car - screening deeply personal and touching visual testimonies. An extraordinary space with impactful design, about ordinary people during an extraordinary period of history.

‘Thank you for your part in this project, we are so grateful to everyone for making this dream a reality… Our hearts are full of pride. And so should yours be as well! An honour recognised by descendants and loved ones – portrayed with such care and professionalism. Our key partners have been moved, truly a museum that delivers – also grateful for the experience is the Premier”

Queensland Holocaust Museum and Education Centre.

ONGOING AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

• Gold at The Eventex Global Awards for the Virtual Experience category (1207 entries from 67 countries)
• Silver at the Eventex Global Awards for the physical museum in the cause events category
• Gold at The Eventex National Awards
• Agency of the Year 2024 at the Australian Event Awards based on QHM
• The Australian Event Awards featured the 360-degree short film “Sorella’s Story”.
• Runner up in Best Charity or Cause-Related event at the Australian Event Awards
• Shortlisted for the 2024 AmaGA Awards for digital interface
• Shortlisted for the Australian Interior Design Awards 2025 for the category of installation design
• Recognised by The Australian magazine as one of the 50 Australian innovations changing the world.

DESIGN CAPTIVATES, BUT IT’S THE FEELINGS THAT STAY...

For all visitors the museum has delivered a powerful and integrated sensory experience, characterised by its sense of permanence and depth, even though it is a temporary venue.  

The project has garnered extensive media coverage across all Queensland media; radio, tv and print plus national and international media. This has been estimated at more than 15 million views - fostering community engagement and awareness, further solidifying the museum's significance within the cultural landscape.

Attendance Figures: The museum has attracted significant visitation, exceeding initial projections by 100%.

Educational Impact: The Museum is now running Professional Development sessions as it begins its educational curriculum role and reserves specific sessions for School group tours, not previously possible in Queensland. Ongoing attendance levels of key and target audience and demographic attracting approximately 600+ students weekly.

Designed for connection, reflection, impact, and performance are further layers of success. Overall, the opening of the museum has resulted in a highly acclaimed and impactful cultural institution recognised nationally and globally.