Ico wins interactive installations for Life

The Centre for Life in Newcastle has appointed Ico to develop six interactive installations for its forthcoming biomedical science exhibition Human Life.

A shortlist is also being compiled for a second multimedia design appointment for the project, which carries a combined design budget of £170 000.

Ico was selected following a four-way pitch to design five installations for the Our Origins area of the exhibition and one installation for Our Future. Opening at Easter 2007, the two spaces – covering 1500m2 – are the second phase of the overall Human Life exhibition at The Centre for Life with 3D exhibition design by At Large (DW 13 April). The first phase – Our World – opened earlier this year.

According to Andy Lloyd, project manager at The Centre for Life, the exhibition will explore the story of human life, drawing together the range of evidence used to understand our origins and future. Studies spanning genetics, the examination of living primate relatives and archaeology will all feed into the interactive designs. The interactive designs target seven- to 14-year-olds.

‘One of Ico’s installations will look at walking, or bipedalism, and may allow visitors to adjust the lengths of bones and muscles to see what is required to allow us to walk,’ says Lloyd.

According to Ico creative director Benjamin Tomlinson, the consultancy intends to develop innovative physical interfaces, such as the pushing or bending of objects, as well as more standard touch-screen technology.