Setting some experience principles

Although spending a relatively short time on the project at Concept Stage, I suggested several principles to be explored further as the project developed. One was to aim for ‘a 1:1 scale experience’; the scale and luxury of the Titanic was a significant differentiator at the time, so why would we recreate anything on a small scale? The intended ride in Gallery 2, which had initially been proposed as a ride over a large-scale model, was subsequently reimagined.

Another suggested principle was the reduction of a generic ‘museum voice’ in favour of the narration of the story through the voices of those who were directly involved with the ship, from the Belfast builders to the discovery of the wreck by Robert Ballard. Both of these principles were intended to amplify a sense of authenticity – designed, built, and launched right where you are standing – while rooting the experience in ‘a Belfast perspective’, which was a key interpretive driver.

The small number of display artefacts drove the design towards something dramatically immersive and digitally interactive. For S.O.S. I envisaged a transition zone, between the Maiden Voyage and The Sinking areas, as being deliberately disorientating, cold and uncomfortable for visitors. In the darkness, sounds of an SOS signal would give way to sounds and images of news headlines about the sinking.

For a large theatre space, I proposed a dramatic three-part ‘discover, explore, consider’ experience over multiple levels. Starting with the Titanic’s discovery, footage panning over the wreck from above would come into view under visitor’s feet. A huge screen in front of visitors would then explore around the wreck. Lastly, a series of smaller, more intimate screens would focus on more poignant footage of personal belongings on the seabed. The three-part idea was subsequently amalgamated into a single theatre space.