Ruhr Museum
“Ruhr 2010” presented the Ruhr region as a UNESCO World Heritage centre. As part of this project, the Ruhr Museum moved into the UNESCO World Heritage site Zollverein Coal Mine, where it curates the natural and cultural history of one of the largest industrial regions in the world.
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The building’s various, imposing spatial configurations—the former coal-washing plant of the Zollverein colliery—are an integral part of the exhibition and media concept. The media extend beyond their playback frames, creating correlations with the architecture and the physical exhibits. Numerous archival films are assigned to the exhibition objects as display films, depicting the phenomena of the Ruhr region in moving images and supporting the thematic islands with historical film documents in their didactic approach.
In addition to visual impressions and information, sound showers suspended from the ceiling also enable a phenomenological approach on an acoustic level. An interactive data table and three large-scale projections provide visitors with a wide range of infographics. The Ruhr Visitor Center offers an initial overview of the region’s industrial heritage and presents the tourist offerings at 20 interactive stations. An 18-minute image film, “RUHR 360°”, shown in one of the former circular thickeners of the coal-washing plant as a 360° projection adapted to the spatial situation, explores the characteristics of the region.
The Zollverein Heritage Trail encompasses the grounds and buildings of the former colliery. Guided tours supported by media deepen understanding of the plant’s functionality, working conditions, and social context. All tours are supplemented by a media guide produced in five languages.
