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Fan Chieh Chien's Exhibition occupies a dramatic architectural interior where graphite-toned ceiling planes cantilever forward in bold diagonal descent, each suspended slab bearing dense typographic i
A darkened threshold opens onto a sophisticated exhibition environment where deep terracotta flooring establishes an earthy foundation beneath a dramatic interplay of architectural surfaces and projec
Fan Chieh Chien's Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition presents an immersive spatial environment where controlled lighting orchestrates dramatic tonal contrasts across deep midnight navy walls tha
Fan Chieh Chien's Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition achieves a remarkable synthesis of immersive environmental design and didactic functionality through its masterful integration of large-scale
A harmonious fusion of immersive projection technology and circular pedagogical furniture establishes this exhibition space as an exemplar of contemporary museum design methodology, where warm golden-

National Museum of Prehistory

Bronze Interior Space and Exhibition Design · 2026

Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition

by Polymorphic Corp. and Goodjob Corp.

  • A' Design Award 2026 Bronze Winner in Interior Space and Exhibition Design
  • Awarded April 15, 2026
  • CLIENT: National Museum of Prehistory
  • Estimated Number of Design Views: 6,669
  • Verification code AD2B87CDC3 · Verify this award
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About Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition

The Contemporary Archaeology Hall uses innovative design and technology to transform archaeology into a thought provoking journey that links the past with modern society. Visitors become time travelers, exploring archaeological secrets in places like the Moai filled island of Rapa Nui, the Akrotiri ruins before a volcanic eruption, and the ancient tomb of a Viking female warrior. Along the way, they reflect on contemporary societal challenges and potential solutions.

Fan Chieh Chien's Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition represents a significant achievement in contemporary museum design, demonstrating how exhibition architecture can transcend mere container function to become active participant in educational narrative and visitor experience, the spatial intervention employing dramatic diagonal ceiling planes as primary information carriers, each suspended volume bearing dense typographic content that transforms architectural surfaces into immersive textual environment, this approach appears to engage with contemporary exhibition design discourse emphasizing experiential learning and spatial storytelling, where visitors encounter information not as discrete didactic panels but as encompassing atmospheric presence, the compositional sophistication evident in how the designer orchestrates multiple overlapping planes to create forced perspective and directional flow, guiding visitor circulation while maintaining visual coherence across the entire environment, the chromatic restraint demonstrates confident understanding of how limited palette intensifies focus, the near-monochromatic graphite tonality establishing serious institutional gravitas while strategic warm accent lighting on artifact displays creates hierarchy and moments of intimate discovery, technically the integration of environmental graphics at architectural scale requires sophisticated understanding of viewing distances, typographic legibility under varied lighting conditions, and the challenge of maintaining information density without visual chaos, the designer achieves remarkable clarity despite the complexity of layered textual elements, each ceiling plane readable while contributing to total spatial composition, the lighting design deserves particular recognition for its precision, theatrical spotlighting creating pools of warm illumination that draw attention to individual artifacts while ambient diffusion maintains legibility of overhead information architecture, this careful calibration of light levels and color temperatures serves both functional requirements of artifact preservation and visibility and atmospheric goals of creating contemplative educational environment, the polished floor surface functions not merely as circulation plane but as reflective element doubling the vertical display elements and enhancing spatial depth, thematically the exhibition appears to address archaeology and cultural heritage, the title Contemporary Archaeology Hall suggesting inquiry into how contemporary societies engage with material past, the environmental scale and information density perhaps evoking the layered complexity of archaeological sites themselves, where multiple temporal strata overlap and meaning emerges through patient excavation and interpretation, the integration of period furnishings including the warm-glowing table lamp introduces temporal complexity, historical objects displayed within aggressively contemporary architectural envelope creating productive tension between past and present, the curved white archways visible in background suggest institutional architecture of earlier era, the exhibition design respecting existing architectural character while asserting bold contemporary intervention, this dialogue between architectural languages may itself constitute commentary on archaeological practice as conversation between historical remains and contemporary interpretation, the viewer invitation here involves both intellectual engagement with dense textual information and embodied spatial experience of moving through dramatically articulated environment, how does exhibition architecture itself function as argument about its subject matter, and what possibilities emerge when information design operates at environmental rather than object scale, inviting extended contemplation of the relationship between spatial experience and knowledge construction.

Press Kit

Unique Properties
Through innovative design, the Contemporary Archaeology Hall transforms archaeology into a reflective journey that links the past with today’s society. Visitors become time travellers, venturing into sites such as Rapa Nui, where the Moai are located; Akrotiri, destroyed by a volcanic eruption; and the burial of a female Viking warrior. Along the way, they uncover the mysteries of archaeology while confronting the challenges faced by contemporary society and considering possible solutions.
Dimensions & Packaging
Independent exhibition hall comprising 570 square meters of indoor galleries and 190 square meters of outdoor space, with ceiling heights ranging from 5 m to 6.8 m. The exhibition includes six thematic sections, three immersive theatres, seven digital interactive installations, twelve display cases, and a large collection of physical artefacts and replicas.
Tags
Contemporary Archaeology Hall, National Museum of Prehistory, Polimorphic Design Co., Ltd., Archaeology, Permanent Exhibition , Time Travellers
Production Technology
Interior Fit-Out: In addition to traditional materials and methods, this project makes bold use of a wall and ceiling system that combines flame-retardant lightbox fabric with an aluminium alloy framework.
Audiovisual Installation: The audiovisual content for this exhibition is primarily produced using 3D CGI animation. Virtual characters are created through facial 3D scanning and motion capture technologies.
Design Challenge
The greatest difficulty of this project lay in the challenges inherent in pursuing innovation.
We actively adopted new materials, methods, and technologies, bringing together expertise from interior design, 3D CGI production, motion capture, lighting, and mechanical prop control. These unprecedented attempts added complexity and uncertainty to the process, yet everything proved worthwhile in the moment of completion.
Project Duration
The project was launched on 5 May 2023 and will be on display from 28 June 2025 at the National Museum of Prehistory, Taiwan.
Operation Flow
During the visit, audiences become time travellers, engaging with rich audiovisual interactions to explore archaeological findings on themes such as gender, coexistence with nature, and food crises, while reflecting on the challenges of contemporary society and possible solutions. At the end of the journey, visitors can share their perspectives with fellow travellers through a digital message wall.
Research
This project constructs a platform for dialogue, using the stories behind the exhibits as bridges for connection: dialogues between past and present, between archaeologists and the public, and among visitors themselves. For us, this is more than an archaeological exhibition; it is also a demonstration of how the humanities can engage with contemporary issues through care and advocacy.
Inspiration
Inspired by a journey through time and space, this exhibition invites visitors to move freely across different eras and regions, exploring the life stories of prehistoric peoples. To realise this vision, we have drawn on a wealth of archaeological research, transforming it into stories that are both informative and engaging. Through a combination of physical displays, digital interaction, and immersive theatre, we present an archaeological exhibition like no other.
Image Credits
Fan-Chieh Chien,Contemporary Archaeology Hall,2025

Colors of Contemporary Archaeology Hall Exhibition

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