This bold and unconventional exhibition for the Powerhouse Museum was conceived as an immersive and high-energy visitor experience. The existing warehouse interior was stripped back to reveal original brickwork before being dramatically blacked out. A new structural grid of steel mesh was inserted, forming the backbone of the exhibition and supporting fluorescent-edged acrylic display cases.

Using a flexible “kit of parts,” the exhibition presents over 900 objects across a series of themed zones. The steel mesh framework provides both structure and transparency, allowing layered views and visual connections between different areas of the exhibition. The result is a dynamic and visually charged environment that captures the spirit, colour and cultural intensity of the 1980s while enabling curatorial flexibility.

A SUPERSENSE / TOLAND project.

The project was shortlisted in the 2010 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA)