Architecture students at Fachhochschule Dortmund are developing an interactive exhibition system for a family-friendly exhibition on the subject of cancer. The study assignment is based on an extraordinary cooperation between the faculty and three committed people from Frankfurt.
Sonja Marschall studies psychology at the University of Hagen and communication and media sciences at the University of Leipzig. She has already written several children's books in which she explains illnesses such as heart defects, allergies, heart attacks and cancer in an entertaining and understandable way. The latter, entitled "Lotte und die Chemo-Männchen" (Lotte and the Chemo Men), is to be the subject of an interactive traveling exhibition - and the architecture is being developed by the UAS students.
In small teams, the students designed six independent concepts and exhibited them in the foyer of the architecture building at Emil-Figge-Straße 40. The jury was made up of Sonja Marschall and the other two initiators: Sabine Schmid, who works both at Frankfurt University Hospital and in the "Hilfe für krebskranke Kinder Frankfurt" association, and Privatdozent Dr. Konrad Bochennek, senior consultant in pediatric oncology at Frankfurt University Hospital. Both are involved in the exhibition project on a voluntary basis.
In the next step, a stand builder will now examine the three selected designs for their practical feasibility. The most convincing project will then be realized.
The demands are high
The task was: "Design proposal and constructive elaboration of a mobile exhibition system for indoor use".
The system should
- convey knowledge in a touching, informative, lively and tangible way, especially for children
- have both haptic and media elements
- can be used in museums, hospitals, schools and other locations
- comprise eight stations
- fit easily into a van
- be robust enough to be played with by children for a long time.
A particular challenge was the approach of focusing on hope and strength without ignoring the reality of the disease.
The three selected designs impressed the jury with their flexibility in construction and installation, clever solutions for accommodating the technology, simple and compact transportation options and their innovative and appealing overall appearance.
Chancellor: "Great idea"
UAS Chancellor Svenja Stepper and Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Franz Vogler also attended the announcement of the jury's decision with an internal exhibition of all six designs on November 15 in the EFS 40 architecture building.
"The idea of using illustrative models to take the complexity out of cancer is great," says Svenja Stepper. "It raises awareness of prevention, diagnosis and treatment and makes the disease more tangible in the truest sense of the word, making it easier for children to understand. The students have achieved this wonderfully."
It remains exciting for these designs
- "Healix" by Julia Grauert, Nikolas Jeromin and Isabel Lackmann
- "Exploring cancer" by Luisa Demmer, Lea Kattenbeck and Lana Schleicher
- "Learning cubes" by Neele Fastenrath, David Frankemölle and Leon Venne
The designs were created in the compulsory elective module "Interior | Finishing | Furniture Construction", supervised by research assistants Guido Kollert and Laura Wiederhold.