Unlike any other type of museum, a film museum connects to people’s personal lives andmemories. Under the Art Direction of Tilman Thürmer, COORDINATION ASIA created amuseum experience for the new Shanghai Film Museum that is driven by interaction anddialogue, and that allows visitors to be an active participant in the story of Shanghai Film.Over 15,000 sqm this museum will share the story of Shanghai filmmaking, from its magicalbeginning in 1896 until present day's 3D blockbusters. Located in a former film studio inShanghai's downtown Xujiahui, the new museum boasts 4 floors, over 70 interactiveinstallations and a collection of 3,000 historic exhibits. As the first film museum in the city,the museum will have a leading role in maintaining the international position of Shanghaifilm and raising awareness for the industry’s value on a national level.Be it by dubbing classical films in a real sound studio, walking through a lifelike film set on Shanghai’sfamous Nanjing Road or by becoming a star on the ‘Carpet of Lights’, where virtual fans and photographersflash their camera’s trying to capture the ‘celebrity’ that just passed by; in the Shanghai Film Museum thevisitor becomes a part of film and is invited to actively participate in it. This key concept of inclusion in theworld of film is the red thread through the Shanghai Film Museum, which seamlessly integrates historicalrelics in an interactive environment, in a new cultural hotspot of international allure with a certain localtouch.Visitors of the museum can meet and greet the most prominent faces and places in Shanghai’s film historyand can come closer than ever to celebrities and film sets that are usually out of reach. A 4D photo albumshowcases memories and personal stories of film professionals, and shows how film slowly but surelybecame a part of daily life in the city of Shanghai. Shanghai’s most successful film studios are celebratedand brought to life by a mix of objects and multimedia. A highlight is a glimpse into the archives of these‘dream factories’ in ‘The River of Dreams’, a 50 meters long interactive ‘stream’ of films from 1949 up untiltoday. Through a touch and play application, the visitor can ‘catch’ films in this stream and learn moreabout them. The success story and cultural importance of Shanghai film is underlined in an overview of themost glorious moments and relevant awards. The National Anthem of the PRC, a melody that was first usedin a movie and later became China’s national sound, is celebrated in a multimedia installation that combinessound, objects, videos and the lyrics of the anthem.The new museum is not only a ‘temple of history’; it makes a conscious and clear link to the present andfuture of filmmaking by integrating fully equipped real-time production studios, in which visitors canparticipate in the craft of filmmaking. A mixture of professional studios for Animation, Post-Production,Sound and Live Broadcasting enables visitors to see first hand how film professionals use traditional craftas well as modern digital technology to create features for the silver screen. A new generation of museumvisitors can experience that the Shanghai Film Industry is still very much flourishing today and offers abright future to the city.Connecting past, present and future, and incorporating functions such as DIY workshops, a 4DCinema, a multifunctional event space, a shop and a café, the Shanghai Film Museum representsa new vision on museum design. It is a vivid and ‘living’ environment, and a meeting place wherean audience of professionals and non-professionals can interact and exchange knowledge andinspiration. This encouragement of dialogue is at the very core of the concept by COORDINATIONASIA for the new Shanghai Film Museum: to become a community that continues the tradition ofsharing stories – the greatest of which are always waiting to be told.Location:595 Cao Xi North RoadXuhui District, Shanghai, ChinaExtent:15,000 sqmCompletion Date:June 2013Design Firm:COORDINATION ASIAPhotography:Tilman Thürmer / COORDINATION ASIA Ltd.Client:Shanghai Film GroupDetail Designand Construction:Shanghai Art-Designing Corp. Mileseum Co.,Ltd.Special Consultant:Nina Rose