Arabic Islamic Science Museum

Sheikh Abdullah Al Salem Cultural Centre, Kuwait

An interactive museum exploring the Golden Age of Arabic history and science, at one of the world’s largest cultural centres.

Overview

Kuwait’s Arabic History and Science Museum is part of the ASCC, one of the world’s largest cultural centres. A purpose-built celebration of the Islamic Golden Age and its legacy, the museum includes dual-language (Arabic/English) soundscapes, multi-user interactive tables, touchscreen games, immersive films and holograms.

A variety of digital activities are on offer: creating traditional craft, a game replacing the missing pieces of ancient manuscripts, a photographic touchscreen quiz, and an immersive film about the science of optics, ‘Camera Obscura’.

The visitor experience begins with soft recitations of ancient Arabic poetry, played through sound cones hung from the ceiling, and ends at ‘Legacy of the Golden Age’, a huge 16-user, interactive table.

Project breakdown

NewAngle developed 20 dual-language (Arabic/English) exhibits for this purpose-built museum at one of the world’s largest cultural centres.

Soundscapes

Multiplayer interactive tables

Touchscreen interactives

Films

Pepper’s Ghost holograms

Timeline

Project team

Interactives

'Legacy of the Golden Age' is a huge interactive table designed for up to 16 visitors to explore Golden Age discoveries and their impact on scientific developments today.
In 'Legacy of the Golden Age', visitors use large round pucks to activate the content.
Designed to blend seamlessly with a physical library, the ‘Interactive Library’ exhibit allows visitors to explore manuscripts and illustrations from the Golden Age.
Our ‘Architecture of the Mosque’ touchscreen exhibit mirrors the map on the large central table. As visitors select individual mosques, content is revealed and the mosque lights up on the physical map.
Visitors learn what drove the Arabic Golden Age by activating hotspots at the ‘Knowledge Table’ to reveal text and images relating to key locations and themes.
During production, three sample tables were set up in the NewAngle studio allowing us to network the screens and test how the interactives responded to multiple users.
‘World Arabic Architecture’ is a three user interactive that allows visitors to explore high resolution photographs that illustrate the diversity, complexity and beauty of the buildings built during the Golden Age.

Pepper’s Ghosts

Four actors were filmed performing as ancient scholars speaking classical Arabic; the footage was then used to create Pepper’s Ghost holograms.
The shoot employed a full film crew, including make-up artist, wardrobe supervisor and an Arabic-speaking auto-cue operator.
The shoot employed a full film crew, including make-up artist, wardrobe supervisor and an Arabic-speaking auto-cue operator.
Media installed in the museum gave the illusion of scholars magically appearing, seated behind a desk.

Animation

A three-minute film, ‘Camera Obscura’, is projected onto a circular table. Motion graphics, onscreen text and a voiceover tell the story of Ibn al-Haytham and his discovery of the camera obscura effect.
Handpainted illustrations for several of the interactive touchscreen games create a fun animated style.
‘Design a Treasure’ touchscreen incorporates hand-painted illustrations, celebrating traditional craft skills.
‘Design a Treasure’ touchscreen.