1. The Mercedes-Benz Museum: A heritage for the future

2. Timescale: Key dates

3. Facts & figures: Key details of the Mercedes-Benz Museum

4. Architecture: A design masterpiece

5. Exhibits: Innovative concept for an impressive heritage

6. Materials: Man-made leather and parquet for orientation

7. Technology: From lighting to the audio guide

8. A family museum: Perfect for children and young people

9. Stuttgart & surroundings: Art and cuisine highly recommended

10. Travel directions: The quickest way to Untertürkheim

Technology: From lighting to the audio guide


The basic design of the Museum was already based on a carefully considered lighting system which would provide a contrast between the bright daylight in the Collection rooms and the darker Legend rooms. The former are open to the outside, appear shadowy when viewed externally and characterise the appearance of the Museum with their lighting at night. The latter are closed on the inside, making the walls, ceilings and floors fade into the background in comparison to the illuminated exhibits and graphic media.

The two areas are not strictly separated, but offer surprising visual aspects. This presents unusual challenges for the design of the lighting system, as the vehicles in the Legend rooms are not only seen from the front, in a showcase or on a raised platform, but at times become visible from behind or above when visitors move down into the area via the ramp. The exhibits are intended to be brightly lit from all angles, but without the concealed spotlights dazzling the visitors.

Quite a different problem had to be solved in the Collection rooms: while the entire outer side is glazed, the level of illumination at the rear of the area is imperceptibly reduced at a depth of around 30 metres. Neutral, white lenses and artificial light from the elliptical lamps designed by UN studio and recessed into the ceiling solved this problem extremely elegantly, so that visitors do not notice the difference at all; their light can be very precisely directed at the exhibits.

Technical history in a very modern guise

The Mercedes-Benz Museum is redolent with the latest technology from top to bottom, providing visitors with a world-class presentation of the brand’s history. "Anybody wishing to convince, impress and surprise the public nowadays must transcend purely cognitive and visual communication", says Valentin Spiess, whose company "i-art interactive ag" developed the media concept for the Museum together with HG Merz and was responsible for the entire media plan. The range of communication media is target group-specific and intuitive to operate. Graphic and sound communication adds explanations, atmosphere and contextual images to the arrangement of exhibits.

The narrative continuity of the displays in the Museum is assisted by specifically employed informative elements such as audio-guidance, text, graphics, touch-screens, databases, monitors and simulators. The printed graphics, which like all the graphic presentation features of the Museum were designed by the Stuttgart graphic design company L2M3, provide visitors with the most important information, while the audiovisual media offer supplementary information and anecdotes. "No invention has had such a far-reaching effect on our civilisation as the automobile. Our task was to tell this story item by item, with reference to a brand which has made its mark on the entire process. The objective was to find the documentary background to this story", says Christoph Stratenwerth, whose team was responsible for the audio profiles, sound, films and media installations in the Museum.

Thanks to the wide range of media, the mass of information provided in the Mercedes-Benz Museum can be broken down and made available in the right place and by the appropriate means. To avoid disturbance to the overall picture, visual media are usually kept away from the sculpture-like presentations surrounding the vehicle exhibits.

The information concept is tailored to the presentations and the different expectations of visitors. For example, at important vehicle exhibits up to four different audio-profiles focusing on different aspects are made available. Questions are answered where they present themselves.

Audio guide with numerous functions

The audio-visual Museum Guide is a new development which was created in collaboration with the consultants HP. The software, network and design were specifically adapted to the needs of the Mercedes-Benz Museum. The Museum Guide enables visitors to access additional information about the exhibits and the displays as a whole. The unit can be programmed in eight languages, guiding most visitors through the building in their native language. The main tasks of the Museum Guide are to provide introductory audio information about the respective Legend and Collection rooms and to give visitors additional audio information about the exhibits, as well as relaying the sound tracks of numerous media installations.

Since all film soundtracks are relayed via the Guide, no room sound is required. This avoids any confusion within the individual areas and enables any background room sounds to be chosen at will, without having to take other sound sources into consideration. Audio texts are available for children which specifically take their needs into account.

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