An exhibition by children for children

What will the city of the future look like? And what will make it a great place to live? Against the backdrop of increasing urbanisation, the new special exhibition SuperCity 3000 at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin explores the future of urban development. What makes the exhibition unique is that it was created by children for children. We developed the spatial concept and realised the exhibition as an open stage for their ideas.

Participation from the Start – Content and Design in Harmony

Before the exhibition opened, sixty children transformed their needs, dreams and visions for the city of the future into physical models. Suspended railways, solar-powered treehouses, future parks, waste-collecting robots and many other ideas form the basis for the exhibition’s technological, ecological and social themes.

A time-travel tunnel featuring time machines also designed by children introduces visitors to the exhibition and transports them into the future. The journey leads to the model city – a centrally positioned installation composed of the children’s city models, forming the heart of the exhibition.

From there, visitors explore a variety of thematic areas. Dynamic scenic elements that both separate and connect the different sections create a multifaceted exhibition environment. The handcrafted design further reinforces the exhibition’s participatory character. A clear colour and wayfinding system highlights the individual themes and supports intuitive navigation throughout the exhibition. The layout and colour scheme were also developed together with the children during a series of accompanying workshops.

Shape the Future and Discover Innovations

Surrounding the model city, the exhibition invites visitors to explore different aspects of urban futures – from future mobility concepts and sustainable building materials to innovative housing concepts, service robots and new forms of living together. Prototypes and real-world innovations inspired by the children’s ideas can be discovered first-hand throughout the exhibition. Creatively designed, accessible hands-on stations actively engage visitors of all ages and convey a clear message: the future is open – and we all have a role in shaping it.