Architecture for the ears

The new audio guide from tonwelt for the MKM Museum Kuppersmühle in Duisburg allows visitors to delve even deeper into the world of art and architecture

The new audio guide from tonwelt for the MKM Museum Kuppersmühle in Duisburg allows visitors to delve even deeper into the world of art and architecture

The Berlin-based company ton-welt has now demonstrated just how effectively architecture can be conveyed through sound, with an audio tour developed in close collaboration with the Küppersmühle Museum (MKM) in Duisburg. Listeners are in for a surprise: the museum building truly comes to life in the mind’s eye, even if you are not actually inside it or unable to visit it. We prick up our ears and learn that the extension to the former mill with its granary is accessed via the old building, with the historic silos - now accessible for the first time - acting as a hinge between the two. They are connected to the new section of the building via bridges. The repurposed industrial monument now houses the high-calibre contemporary art of the Ströher Collection across 6,100 square metres, including works by Anselm Kiefer, Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter.

Hans von Seggern is also well aware that spatial experiences can indeed be conveyed very effectively through audio. The digital expert is a consultant at tonwelt, a company that has long been established in the industry and has been involved in the production of audiovisual content for many years, supplying major museums around the world such as the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Louvre in Paris, but also offers comprehensive solutions for visitor tours via its own audio and multimedia guides, apps – all combined in a multi-platform approach. “Many people aren’t even aware of all the things you can do with audio,” says Hans von Seggern. “If you do it well, you can achieve a great deal with audio content. Sometimes even much more than with images in a multimedia tour,” reveals the expert. tonwelt was involved from the very start in the creation and content consultation for the audio guide for the Museum Küppersmühle. “Digital offerings are no longer just an ‘add-on’ to dusty display cases, but are incorporated into the planning of exhibitions from the very start,” says Hans von Seggern.

tonwelt sees itself as a content partner and provides support during the conception, copywriting and editing phases. The MKM specified that the content should be written in an academic style. A rather unusual approach for an audio guide, as Hans von Seggern points out: “We were able to secure our best author for the project. He has written texts of a high academic standard that are nonetheless easy to understand.”

It is not only architecture enthusiasts who will be captivated by the conversation between the director, Prof. Dr Walter Smerling, and Jacques Herzog, one of the two Basel-based architects behind the Museum Kuppersmühle. “The interview between the two serves as an introduction to the tour. The idea behind this intro was a joint production with the foundation,” explains Hans von Seggern. In the intro, Jacques Herzog explains that architects today face entirely new demands when it comes to museums: unexpected spaces must also be created. Spaces that do not actually belong in a museum, but which, precisely for that reason, present challenges for artists and curators. Using the Museum Küppersmühle as an example, the star architect refers to the sculptural silos, which can themselves become exhibition spaces. Another key aspect of this design is that the stairwell is not merely a functional component, but part of the dramaturgy. And even more than that: it has a transformative character and is intended to bring people back to themselves.

“So the audio guide is top-notch in terms of content, but what about the technical side? We’ve developed a native app for iOS and Android for the Küppersmühle Museum,” explains Hans von Seggern. The app can be easily downloaded from the usual app stores and is a hit with users thanks to its quick installation and high user-friendliness. “For visitors who don’t have mobile devices, we offer our tried-and-tested multimedia guide, the supraGuide DIVA, with a 6.3-inch touchscreen.” One advantage of this device is that it can run third-party apps, emphasises Hans von Seggern. “This means you can also listen to the audio guide for the special exhibition on the photographs of Andreas Gursky. In this case, there was an app already produced by another provider.” This audio guide certainly cannot replace a visit to the venue. But it is a tool that inspires: because it truly deepens knowledge.

This text was originally published in German. The English translation provided here was generated using AI.