Riggs Ward Design, a multi-disciplinary design and planning firm, is celebrating the reopening of The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in North Carolina, US. The firm designed the exhibits for the reimagined attraction, which launched on 20 May, 2024.
The exhibits at The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum honour the thousands of ships and maritime workers who fought a grim battle against war, piracy, and nature off the North Carolina coast.
Visitors are immersed in the experience through with scale, environmental visuals, and sound, while North Carolina’s distinctive maritime history is highlighted further through interactives that reveal artefacts, preservation processes, weather forecast technologies, and modern lifesaving equipment.
Maria Vann, interim director of The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, says: “The revamped museum boasts an array of interactive experiences, from touch screens to holographic video displays, providing visitors with engaging ways to delve into the region’s maritime heritage.”
Immersive maritime experience
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum brings the past to life, giving visitors a new respect for the indomitable human spirit and the hazards of the sea.
As visitors enter the museum’s exhibitions, they are transported back in time and enveloped by immersive displays that depict the magnitude and drama of maritime history. This larger-than-life presentation elicits a sense of awe and encourages visitors to dive deeper into the stories of bravery and resilience that define the region’s maritime heritage.
Spectacular visuals are accompanied by immersive soundscapes, which transport visitors to the stormy seas with great battles and daring rescues. They are invited to discover the mysteries of North Carolina’s maritime history through interactive experiences, which range from ancient artefacts discovered in the depths to current technologies that have revolutionised navigation and lifesaving operations.
Vann explains: “The displays themselves aren’t just static: we want people to interact with them and form a deeper connection.”
Through hands-on exhibits, visitors learn about the weather prediction systems that have helped sailors navigate the unpredictable waters of the Atlantic, highlighting North Carolina’s essential role in furthering maritime science and technology. Perhaps most crucially, visitors learn about current lifesaving technologies and tactics.
From cutting-edge rescue technology to inspiring stories of bravery and sacrifice, these exhibits honour the brave men and women who risk their lives for the safety of others, representing the spirit of friendship and solidarity that defines the nautical community.
Riggs Ward has created exhibit designs which capture the drama and depth of remarkable stories while optimising visual impact and visitor movement within the available space. “The design is set up so that we can be adaptable and update to make it a new experience,” says Vann.
