Germany – Museum-exhibition services – Niederzier, BIZ Sophienhöhe - Kuration und Ausstellungskonzept

The core component of the advertised service is the curation and planning of an exhibition in accordance with HOAS2 (phases 03-07) for the Visitor and Information Centre (BIZ) on Sophienhöhe in Niederzier. The general task understanding requires a interplay between content depth, creative mediation, and integration into the spatial context. The exhibition is to serve as the central information hub of the region, which not only conveys knowledge but also invites visitors to discover and experience. A particular focus is on linking the interior and exterior spaces to enhance the experiential character of the exhibition. This involves illustrating the metamorphoses of the landscape—from its use as an open-cast mine, through the planned rehabilitation from the outset, to today's biodiversity and recreational use—as a guiding theme. Multimedia and interactive means should be used to offer visitors different perspectives on the rehabilitated landscape of Sophienhöhe and the surrounding areas. The exhibition is to be developed as a flexible, resilient, modular concept that integrates various usage requirements. Feedback with the partially parallel building or open space planning is absolutely necessary. The task requires a thorough analysis of the conditions and target group needs, as well as the development of creative and target group-appropriate mediation solutions for the exhibition as a knowledge platform, forum, and experience space. A prerequisite for this is a content-rich, didactically convincing, and functional development of the exhibition. The curation and exhibition design will be closely accompanied by the project group, consisting of Neuland Hambach GmbH (planned client), Starke Projekte GmbH (procurement and consulting), and RWE Power AG (landowner and responsible for rehabilitation). Immediately relevant actors (e.g. neighbouring open-cast mining environment initiatives, FZJülich, local museums with high thematic relevance, as well as local actors and initiatives) should be involved in the processing. The Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR), which moderates the development of the information centres in the Rhineland coalfield and provides content-related foundations and impulses for the exhibition, is also involved in the development. These include, in addition to the BIZ on Sophienhöhe, the Documentation Centre Garzweiler, the Info Centre at Indemann, the forum:terra nova "Welcome Centre", and the former power station Frimmersdorf. If necessary, the responsible authorities (especially the districts of Cologne and Arnsberg as planning and supervisory authorities) will also be invited to the project group. Digital coordination meetings are planned with the project group. In at least one meeting, the result of the curation and design planning should be presented in a political body (in person). Further exchange with the client should take place as required.