Project Details
The Monastic Way is an immersive visitor centre designed by MET Studio that celebrates 1000 years of Buckfast Abbey and tells the century-spanning history of the Benedictine monks and nuns. We created a range of audio-visual assets for the centre.
Client
MET Studio
Location
Devon, UK
Sector
Museums & Attractions
The Brief
‘Create a range of digital media, including large multi-screen digital films, 3D models that come to life, immersive projections and engaging interactives for a permanent visitor centre.’
Our Response
The Monastic Way is designed as an organic, thought-provoking and interactive experience for all ages that explores the site’s rich history and the everyday life of the resident monks and nuns. The visitor centre helped to increase visitor numbers to Buckfast Abbey by over 100%.
We created an exhibit that invites visitors to explore the different callings that have led people to their professions. Through filmed interviews in individual recessed circular pods, Brother Anthony of the Abbey and people from all different professions, share their ‘calling.’ The exhibit offers an engaging and accessible way to understand what it means, spiritual or otherwise, to wonder ‘what is your calling in life?’
Journey is an immersive timeline of different moments in history, beginning with the big bang through to the present day. Within this exhibit we created an impactful animated film for a large, curved screen, that explores how Benedictine history is intricately interwoven with world history. The large screen and projections were used to create an inviting and captivating experience for visitors as they traverse over 2000 years of history.
The Rule of St. Benedict refers to the 3 vows and 5 rules that the monks at Buckfast Abbey live by. In the Guide exhibit, we recreated The Rules digitally to appear on a large screen as the visitor moved their hand to virtually turn the pages of the book below. In another exhibit, we also blended physical assets with digital interactivity, to create an interactive model of the Abbey that explores the history of the site from when it was founded to the present day.
