The renewal of the famous Seaplane Harbour museum transforms maritime history into an interactive experience, showcasing nearly 200 exhibits.
Estonian Maritime Museum
Tallinn, Estonia
1665 m²
2024
Interpretation planning, content creation and development. Exhibition and interactive exhibits design, development and production. Multimedia design and production, replicas production, furniture design and production, graphic design and production, exhibition fit-out design and production, project management, fabrication and installation.
KOKO architects
Tõnu Tunnel
The renovation of Seaplane Harbour had three main objectives: creating new and captivating thematic areas for the museum, providing all visiting families with an unforgettable experience, and making Seaplane Harbour the most accessible museum in Estonia.
The exhibition maintains its core "underwater, by the water, on the water" concept while introducing expanded themes of underwater archaeology, maritime rescue, naval defence, and aviation which all got their own interactive areas during the renewal process of the museum.
The museum design features distinctive design elements for each section, reflecting their narrative—from rescue equipment motifs to rusted wrecks and historic ship bows. The exhibition showcases famous maritime treasures like the submarine Lembit, the century-old icebreaker Suur Tõll, and the historic seaplane Short 184, offering visitors an immersive journey through Estonia's maritime heritage.
Visitors will find many new opportunities for hands-on activities for children and families and a brand-new area for the youngest children, offering plenty of exploration and discovery for the smallest maritime enthusiasts.
The museum is located in a seaplane hangar that was constructed between 1916 and 1918 for the Imperial Russian Navy. In 2012 it was transformed into a maritime museum.
The biggest challenge was certainly the limited time of the process - the museum was closed for only 4.5 months, and we actually couldn't even get inside during the entire period because the floor was being epoxied.
During designing and building the new version of the museum, several exhibits had to be essentially invented from scratch, drawing on Seaplane Harbour's previous experience and expectations.
One of the main priorities of the renovation work was increasing accessibility. Through using loop amplification, sign language interpretation, guide paths, touchable exhibits and carefully crafted routes with wheelchair access, Seaplane Harbour is an enjoyable museum to all visitors.
Highlights include the Maritime Rescue area, where we used a new rescue raft exhibit to convey the emotion of a turbulent sea, with the opportunity to solve tasks while situated in an actual rescue raft.
Other notable exhibits are integrated animation-enabled portholes at the yellow submarine animation about Kass Kipper and Baltic Sea creatures and model boats, where both tall and short helmsmen can grab the captain's steering wheels and practice maritime traffic navigation.
The exhibition transformed from having traditional informative displays into an immersive, narrative-driven experience that caters to diverse audiences and invites visitors to engage and learn. Areas like the children's ocean-themed zone and a parent relaxation area make the museum visit a relaxing experience. Embracing inclusive design principles, the space features high-contrast graphics, a thoughtful colour palette, and minimalist metal and glass aesthetics that communicate both strength and accessibility. The result is a museum experience that speaks to families, history enthusiasts, tourists, and visitors with special needs.
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Register code: 10670181 Tartu mnt 84a, Tallinn 10112
Estonia
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