The Experience Alchemists, Inc. (TEA), a public benefit corporation that offers experience design and consulting services for projects both large and small, has collaborated with Newark Museum of Art, New Jersey, to develop the interpretive plan for The Ballantine House.
The Ballantine House is an opulent 19th-century mansion built for the Ballantine family of brewery owners. It reopened to visitors in November following an extensive restoration project.
Local pride
In developing this project, the TEA team considered the question, “What does a Victorian mansion have to say to Newark in 2023?”
TEA worked closely with the Newark Museum of Art’s staff to shape key messages and guide design decisions. The team identified a core narrative which would explore the industrial heritage of the City of Newark, and tell the stories of its specialized workforce of skilled craftspeople.
“The city of Newark’s pride is palpable and leveraging the fact that Newarkers built the mansion and many of the architectural components in it felt like an important and relevant topic for local audiences,” explains the firm.
The city was ethnically, racially, and economically diversified when the house was constructed, however, it was still segregated. TEA also wanted to tell the story of the mansion’s powerful women, Mrs Ballantine and her daughter Alice, who greatly influenced its construction, decor, and day-to-day operation as a family home.
The team developed a range of experiences to make the house more relevant and inviting to a diverse population of Newark residents, which were delivered with support from Colorbox Industries, Drumminhands Design, Caroline Herr, Public Eye Productions, and Corbett Sparks.
In addition, a series of contemporary art installations were created on the second floor, which predominantly feature local artists of colour.
Layers of interpretation
Visitors enter through the back of the house, through an attached museum hallway which features a new introductory experience that evokes the feeling of entering through the front door in 1885.
TEA worked with local filmmaker Scott Sinkler to create a trailer for the experience. This includes drone footage of the house exterior and a sweeping one-shot sequence of the interior, and builds anticipation for the experience to follow.
On entering the mansion, visitors walk across a giant period map of the city which features a lighting system that highlights significant locations, and is accompanied by a slide show which contrasts images of the sites from past and present.
They are also invited to Look, Listen and Play during their visit in a three-dimensional graphic designed by Colorbox Industries, and to engage with a touch station that offers a sensory experience of the sumptuous decor within the mansion.
Within the house, two touchscreen interactives share the restoration process, with cameos from some of the local contractors who contributed to the project.
In addition, TEA has created soundscapes for a number of the rooms, which include evocative sounds such as billiard balls breaking, tea cups tinkling, and the crackle of a warm fire.
A hidden old-fashioned phone near the front door adds to the space’s ambient layers of sound. Visitors can lift the receiver to hear a conversation about the house’s occupants.
Comprehensive approach
Outside, TEA wanted to create a simple way to engage passers-by and better describe that the mansion is open to visitors. The team created multi-layered vinyl silhouettes of the house interior which were added to the front windows, adding warmth and playfulness to the exterior of the house.
The mansion also features a further entrance on the second floor. Here, visitors can explore an installation of objects which were Made in Newark, and which illustrate the city’s industries and craftspeople.
The musical heritage of Newark is also highlighted in the Listening Lounge. TEA worked with the museum team to develop new introductory orientation panels and a fun audio experience which invites visitors to choose a record to play, with Queen Latifah, Whitney Houston, Paul Simon, Nina Simone, Sarah Vaughn, and Lords of the Underground featured among the artists from the city.
The TEA team also advised on the layout and design of the galleries to enhance accessibility and make sure the spaces were unified and visitor-friendly. They worked with the museum team to develop new visitor paths and encouraged more seating, suggested installing fewer objects in the galleries, assisted in developing new lighting for the space’s stained glass, and recommended the use of a vinyl reproduction of the plaster wall treatment to create a smoother transition between the second-floor spaces.
TEA explains: “We took a holistic approach to this work, balancing considerations for the visitor experience with the conservation and security requirements needed to help protect the house and other collections objects.”
The Experience Alchemists, Inc. (TEA), recently took part in a series of educational events in New Zealand and Australia. Ed Rodley, The Experience Alchemists co-founder and principal, shared his insights on immersive experiences, visitor engagement, and emerging trends for the cultural sector.
