12 Dec 2022
FLUGT Refugee Museum of Denmark, designed by architects BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group and exhibition designers Tinker Imagineers, was officially inaugurated at the end of June in the presence of Queen Margrethe II. Located at the site of Denmark’s largest World War II refugee camp, the museum gives a voice and a face to refugees worldwide by capturing their universal challenges, emotions, drive, and stories. The exhibitions use personal stories to put a face on history and abstract numbers and to show the connection between the local history of Oksbøl and today's refugee crisis.
The search for refuge and the tensions that come with it are timeless, something that can happen to anyone.
Experience design agency, Tinker imagineers, came up with an innovative immersive design in which the stories of refugees across time are told in ways never experienced before. The museum experience consists of several exhibition rooms and a large outdoor area, and the personal stories of refugees are brought to life through visual highlights, soundscapes, animations, interviews, and original film material. Visitors immerse themselves in the experiences that refugees had to deal with, both in the past and present, allowing them to get to know the humans behind the stories.
Outside, a huge and notable model of the former camp, made of concrete and Corten Steel, indicates its scale. Here, visitors begin an immersive audio walk through the forest, providing real insight into what daily life in the camp was like. The cemetery and an old barrack can be visited as well.
Erik Bär, founder and director of Tinker imagineers, is honoured to have been entrusted with such a prestigious project in Denmark:
"Creating a museum on this topical subject made the assignment especially relevant and meaningful for us. This is the type of challenge we like. It was both exciting and challenging to combine personal histories of refugees and social impact to make FLUGT an uplifting visitor experience."
Tinker previously worked with Vardemuseerne and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group on the joint creation of the Tirpitz Museum on Denmark's west coast, near FLUGT. "We were looking forward to doing so again due to our shared ambitions and quality requirements," explains Erik Bär.
In close collaboration with Tinker and a team of engineers, BIG successfully adapted and extended one of the camp’s few remaining structures (the former hospital) into a 1,600m2 museum.
Technical Sheet
