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Bringing the Southern Ocean to life
Ocean Discovery Centre
Located at the head of the Summerland Peninsula on Phillip Island in Victoria, the Nobbies Ocean Discovery Centre started its life as a private venture development located adjacent to Australia’s largest fur seal colony. After falling vacant, the building and site were acquired by Phillip Island Nature Parks who manage the world-famous Penguin Parade and other conservation and tourism destinations on the island. In association with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Phillip Island Nature Parks developed a new destination which informs visitors about the southern oceans and Antarctica.
TERROIR have worked in association with long-time collaborators Thylacine to develop an immersive exhibition experience structured around an artificial landscape. It draws inspiration from the geology of this spectacular site and the incredible forces of wind and water that define this place. The exhibition is both dramatic and pedagogic; a place of wonder that provokes questions about our natural world and life in the southern oceans.
- TYPE Public
- LOCATION Phillip Island | AU
- YEAR 2015
APPROACH
The Sea of Ice (1823-24) by Caspar David Friedrich suggested a spatial response for the exhibition.
The exhibition is entered from main hall of the visitor centre before descending down into what was previously the basement. This descent into takes the visitor into another world, separated from any sensory connection with the world outside. The journey is structured by a series of angled panels onto which a comprehensive 3D audio-visual experience is projected, transporting visitors beneath the ocean’s surface.
GALLERY
