This exhibit at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara combines a 5,000-pound original section of the Berlin Wall and a brass bust of Reagan to help visitors experience the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and Reagan's pivotal role in this global transformation.
This exhibit at the Reagan Ranch Center in Santa Barbara combines a 5,000-pound original section of the Berlin Wall and a brass bust of Reagan to help visitors experience the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Cold War, and Reagan's pivotal role in this global transformation. Created by experience design agency Stimulant, the exhibit utilizes a combination of interactive touchscreens, directional audio, and dynamic lighting to create an impactful and immersive experience.
The lobby containing the exhibit is small, acoustically lively, and bright. Lightswitch understood that the fixture selection had to be as minimally intrusive to the architecture and artifacts as possible. Our team chose ETC Source Four LED Profiles to light the wall and bust of Reagan. Pixel-controllable LED tape was placed behind the wall, creating a dramatic silhouette with glowing edges and allowing us to introduce a layer of movement to an otherwise very still exhibit. In this way, Lightswitch was able to craft the illusion of East Berlin life bustling just behind the wall.
However, instead of simply lighting the bust and wall section — two relatively disparate objects — Lightswitch took a theatrical approach, using light and color to supplement the story unfolding in the adjacently displayed video. In order to do this, we programmed the lighting to respond to elements of the video, including both narrative and ambient audio cues. The lighting had to be effective for a variety of audiences and settings, from casual daytime visitors to formal evening gala tours, with the option to play and pause the experience as necessary.
Our creative team was asked to bring two relatively disparate artifacts to life to tell a singular story. We did this through creative and theatrical lighting that responds to the exhibit’s video element. By combining precise professional knowledge and tools with a spirited and innovative approach, Lightswitch was able to help the exhibit tell the cohesive story of a truly engaging historic event.
