PERMANENT EXHIBITION

Lighting design for the permanent exhibition on the history of the GDR

For the permanent exhibition on the history of the GDR, we developed a multifaceted lighting concept that equally showcases historical narratives, original objects, and multimedia elements. The goal was to create an atmospherically dense yet objective exhibition environment in which visitors can orient themselves, immerse themselves, and reflect.

The exhibition tells the complex story of the GDR—from everyday life and surveillance to resistance, culture, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Our lighting design supports this dramatic approach through targeted accentuations, zoned lighting moods, and deliberate thematic contrasts.

Particular attention was paid to the staging of original objects—such as files, photographs, everyday objects, or surveillance equipment—with glare-free, conservation-friendly lighting. Media stations, archive rooms, and memorial sites were supplemented with integrated lighting scenes that support the respective content.

The result is a restrained but effective lighting design that leaves room for information, emotion and memory – and makes the historical material visually tangible.

Description of services: Lighting planning, conception and installation

Architekt: COORDINATION Berlin

Client: Foundation House of History of the Federal Republic of Germany

Exhibition area: 2,000 m²

Photo: diephotodesigner