The Wonder Cabinet interactive space is inspired by the Victorian ‘cabinets of curiosity’ at the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History has been awarded a major design award by ICAD.
Officially opened in July 2019 the ‘Wonder Cabinet’ at the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History in Dublin has won an Institute of Creative Advertising and Design (ICAD) Gold award for graphic design. The award was given to Detail. Design Studio for their graphic design work used in the Wonder Cabinet.
The Wonder Cabinet was designed by AP+E (architects) and constructed by Chris White from Acrewood. The graphic design work was by Detail. Design Studio. The award was for the interpretive design work by Detail that enables visitors to identify the Wonder Cabinet, read key information and understand what information relates to which specimens.
Inspired by the ‘cabinets of curiosity’ which paved the way for the Victorian craze for museums, the Wonder Cabinet was conceived by AP+E (architects) and is one of a kind in Ireland. It was commissioned by the National Museum of Ireland’s Education and Outreach team to be a new interactive space in the NMI - Natural History. The theme of the displays is ‘Predator and Prey’ and some highlights include a 30,000-year-old Spotted Hyena jaw from an Irish cave, a 10,500-year-old Giant Irish Deer antler, and a Loggerhead Turtle found on a beach in Co Galway. The aim of the project was to design a space that would showcase these specimens, explore the theme and appeal to the museum’s many visitors, especially schools and families. The education team particularly wanted the design to enable visitors to discover in a playful way, the uniqueness of the natural history specimens.
Learn more about the Wonder cabinet here- https://www.museum.ie/en-IE/Museums/Natural-History/Engage-And-Learn/Learning-Resources/The-Wonder-Cabinet