FIRST PRIZE WINNER!
Bruno Krehula, Mehdi Nejati Karimabad, Kiana Zarrabi, Noémie Sebban
Italy
Bruno Krehula holds a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. His strong connection with the landscape and its built environment, along with a passion for design and sustainability, drives his exploration of the coexistence of architecture and nature.
Kiana Zarrabi, 25, from Tehran, Iran, earned her bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from the University of Tehran in 2022 and is now pursuing a master's in Landscape Architecture at Sapienza University of Rome.
Mehdi Nejati graduated with a bachelor's degree in Architecture and is currently enrolled in the Master's program in Landscape Architecture at the University of Sapienza. He has gained practical experience through employment in architectural and government institutions, specializing in 3D modeling and rendering.
Noémie Sebban, a 22-year-old French architecture student, completed three years of studies in Brussels, interning at two architectural firms. This experience introduced her to various practices and perspectives in architecture.
Interview with the Winner
Introduction
Bruno Krehula
My name is Bruno Krehula, and I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Growing up in Zagreb, I developed a strong connection with the landscape and its intersection with the built environment. My passion for design and sustainability has driven me to explore how architecture and nature can coexist harmoniously. Throughout my academic journey, I have had the privilege of participating in student exchanges, professional practices, and various webinars. These experiences not only honed my technical skills but also allowed me to collaborate with experienced professionals across landscape architecture, architecture, urban planning, and interventions. Currently, I am furthering my studies at the Landscape Architecture department at Sapienza University of Rome.
The Sensory Museum Design Competition 2024 piqued my interest because it posed a fundamental question: "How can we materialize a space that activates all our senses?" The challenge of creating a multi-sensory environment that communicates through more than just visuals was deeply compelling, as it offered an opportunity to push the boundaries of conventional design thinking.
Kiana Zarrabi
I am Kiana Zarrabi. I’m 25 years old, from Tehran, Iran. I completed my bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering at the University of Tehran in 2022. Currently, I’m pursuing a master’s degree in Landscape Architecture at Sapienza University of Rome. My studies and my work experience as an interior architect have sparked a deep curiosity about how human perception works in space and time as an experiential and bodily sequence, especially in relation to sensory experience. Harry Francis Mallgrave’s “Architecture and Embodiment” deeply influenced my understanding of these concepts, and the Sensory Museum competition became an outlet for me to put my theoretical studies into practice, and an opportunity to work and share thoughts with my brilliant team mates/friends.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
My name is Mehdi Nejati graduated of Architecture for my bachelors. Presently I am enrolled in Landscape Architecture programme and Master’s course at the University of Sapienza. I have earned practical knowledge while employed in architectural and government institutions as well. My niche is 3D modeling and rendering.
It would be such a great honor to join the Sensory Museum Design Competition 2024 to explore the skills I have got and interact with the team to accomplish a project touching upon such disciplines as architecture, landscape, and restoration. I am full of energy to create space that operates the senses and relationship of people.
Noémie Sebban
I’m Noémie Sebban, a 22 year old French student in architecture. I did 3 years of my studies in Brussels and worked in two offices through internships. It allows me to experience different practice of architecture and work with people with different visions over the process of building. But it was always the Belgian way of thinking. So, I decided that I needed to see a bit more of the world. I spent a year travelling across Europe and Australia, which offers me the chance to see different ways of building and living. It built up and nourished my critical sense of sight over architecture. I also did a year of Erasmus in Rome and got to follow classes on landscape architecture to complete my education on that topic.
Design Concept
Bruno Krehula
The concept of our design focuses on re-orienting visitors’ sensory experiences as they journey from the historical mining site to the Spiaggia di Piscinas dunes. This design merges natural, historical, and sensory elements into a cohesive experience. Visitors traverse diverse spaces, including a panoramic tower, indoor sensory rooms, tunnels, and open outdoor environments, each offering unique interactions with light, sound, touch, texture and taste.
Our design addresses the challenges of sensory architecture by creating distinct environments that engage multiple senses at different stages of the journey. Each sensory zone offers a curated experience, from the industrial mining heritage to the natural beauty of the dunes. The varying textures, sounds, and materials used throughout the museum create immersive transitions that connect visitors to both the historical significance of the site and its natural environment. By encouraging visitors to engage their senses—sight, sound, touch, taste and even smell—we crafted a deeply immersive experience that is both educational and transformative.
Kiana Zarrabi
Our design for the Sensory Museum, focuses on reorienting visitors’ sensory experiences as they move from the former mining site to the stunning Spiaggia di Piscinas dunes. Key features include a Viewpoint Tower at the hilltop, which serves as a striking architectural element and a starting point for the sensory journey, offering panoramic views of the site.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
We aimed to create one which does not limit or disconnect any of the bodily functions while many of the galleries and museums in the new arts area does, but rather works to satisfy all five(imagination, emotion, verbal, physical act and understanding). The sensory modality is a means of capturing the five senses. The aim of such an environment is not just to attract but also provoke to have an integrated sensitive-oriented relationship with the museum which goes beyond the emotional with the fine artworks. For example, the narrow underground path provides direct access to nature while guiding you seamlessly into the next space.
Noémie Sebban
This project can be seen as a sensory journey through the history of the former mining site. The walk in the museum, starts with the tower on top of the hill. The architectural feature offers an observatory point and serves as a marker in the landscape.
Continuing the walk by going down the hill - representing metaphorically the descent in the mine for the workers – you will walk through the different rooms, reactivated ruins, recessed path, tunnel, recalling history while stimulating senses by, sometimes, limiting one of them.
By taking the first train you will have the opportunity to appreciate the landscape, reflected on mirrors on some portion of the way, then finally reach the seaside. Around the dunes, you will encounter art pieces exhibited, pushing for interaction and reflection. The end point of the journey is established in a structure underwater, accessible with the second train, reconnecting the historical trading area with the mine.
The project is developed to emphasize senses while walking through the museum’s rooms. The specificity here is the connection made between the site history and the sensory experiences implemented in the museum. Through the system of contrasted rooms, the project tried to offer strong senses activation.
Sensory Architecture Significance
Bruno Krehula
The chosen site for the Sensory Museum serves as a natural unifier of sensory elements. Our design embraces this by focusing on three key areas: the old mine, the train rails, and the beach—each offering its own sensory interactions. We worked with existing materials on-site, enhancing them to engage all senses.
Visitors experience the rough textures of the industrial past as they begin their journey through the mining site. The sensory shift continues as they travel along the train rails, with the rhythmic sounds and views of the changing landscape. Finally, the journey ends at the beach, where natural light, the sensation of wind, and the smell of the sea take over. This gradual transition from industrial to natural settings engages human psychology by encouraging mindfulness and sensory awareness.
Kiana Zarrabi
Our design emphasizes multi-sensory engagement through the Sensory Walk, where visitors journey through diverse environments, each crafted to stimulate different senses. The transition from Indoor Spaces with controlled lighting and sound to Underground Spaces that heighten touch and sound illustrates how sensory experiences can be amplified. As visitors progress, they encounter a transition in materials and textures from the rough, industrial materials reflective of mining heritage to the softer, organic materials that represent a return to nature. This tactile experience reinforces the historical context while enhancing sensory interaction.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
Our plans for the Sensory Museum underscores the importance of combing over all our senses focused mainly to the visual system alone. It goes beyond the visual and the aural to give an emotional engagement and an interaction with physical environment through this differentiation. One of the prime examples here is the sensory walk that very cleverly and slowly eases you from dark, claustrophobic, subterranean passages where you can only hear and touch things to large open areas in full sunshine, where you can see and even smell things, appealing to many different psychological states.
Noémie Sebban
In the design we tried to multiply the senses that were stimulated. Different atmospheres are created, each one of them focusing on specific kind of stimulation: the observatory tower enhancing the sight and allowing the visitor to have an overview on what the museum path will be like, the ruins and the open-air rooms allowing the visitor to reconnect with the site, and the recessed walk and the tunnel engaging touch and sound sensors. By building up contrasted atmospheres it challenges human’s behaviour and adaptability to sudden changes.
The whole system was important to make the project coherent and rich in sensory experiences. But I’d say that the difference in the levels gave more power to the sensory design of the museum. By multiplying the contrasted experiences between high perspective, underground tunnel, half in half out path, the project provided a stronger impact on the visitor’s sensory experience.
Sustainability Integration
Bruno Krehula
Sustainability played a critical role in the design of the Sensory Museum. We integrated sustainable principles by using eco-friendly, locally-sourced materials to reduce the environmental impact. Moreover, the design carefully considers its minimal environmental footprint by blending harmoniously with the natural landscape, contributing to the conservation of the site’s historical and ecological heritage. The railway system, an homage to the site’s industrial past, also serves as an eco-friendly transportation method, allowing for accessible movement across the site without harming the environment.
Kiana Zarrabi
We incorporate sustainable principles by utilizing eco-friendly materials like locally sourced wood and stone, minimizing environmental impact. Additionally, our design integrates renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, to ensure sustainable operation.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
When we were designing the Sensory Museum, we formulated the competitive principle the sustainability of which we took very seriously. In designing an eco-sustainability trained building, some things we did which helped in creating lesser environmental harmful aspects included the use of green materials minimising the need for high carbon materials, such as locally sourced wood and stone, incorporating the natural environment into the building as much as possible. There was also a design target on the amount of energy used in the building and the use of recyclable materials like using solar PV panels for energy.
Noémie Sebban
Sustainability was a key factor for the design of the project. The museum is constructed with locally-sourced and sustainable materials like stones and wood. By reusing old ruins building, acknowledging and enhancing the impact of the human activity on the mining site through the storytelling of the history and the senses activation, the design aim to minimize its impact on the landscape.
Design Evolution
Bruno Krehula
The design process began with a broader reflection on society's impact on the world and how we could contribute through storytelling and architectural preservation. From the outset, we sought a location that not only had historical significance but also provided a rich narrative from the past. Once the mining site at Naracauli was chosen, we delved into detailed site analysis and initial sketches, developing a vision that combined history with sensory architecture. Through this iterative process, we refined our approach, balancing form and function with sensory engagement.
Kiana Zarrabi
We began our design journey by reflecting on our previous sensory experiences and exploring how these experiences shape our memories. We considered how sensory stimulation can trigger recollections of the past and influence our present and future experiences. This inquiry led us to choose a site with a rich history, as we believed it would provide us with abundant sensory memories to draw upon. Once we selected the site, we immersed ourselves in understanding its unique characteristics and historical significance. This thorough exploration allowed us to identify the site’s potential for providing immersive sensory experiences in the form of a museum or installation. Ultimately, this understanding shaped our vision and informed our design decisions as we worked to create a meaningful sensory journey for visitors.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
We opted to start the project with in-depth learning of the history of the place and the climate, aiming as much as possible to assimilate those dissolved chemical elements, which are typical for the mine and sand surrounds. As a result, we suggested a few tentative ideas with the emphasis on the use of varied range of senses. That soon brought us to the conclusion that the overall concept of the exhibition shall be a gradual change from the ‘dark’ of the industrial to the present enriched with numerous ‘past-sutured’ and ecologically different environments. The structure’s key features, such as the orientation observation platform, are thoughtfully included in the arrangement owing to factors such as the improvement of the existing state of affairs and the development of the proposed routing through imitative experiences in the form of indoor, subterranean, external, and aerial destinations.
The sensory-walk aims to introduce all of these contexts by forming a pathway that the visitor is virtually coaxed onto. Rust felt appropriate to start the design with because even the substantially backward design - such as with cladding - accentuated the industrial nature of it. The mat took on a two-dimensional brutality that was directly related to the inner environmental agenda.
On the project agenda was awareness of the deleterious impact of construction so all the materials chosen were responsible, being mostly recyclable and capable of being reused. Such awareness is underpinned by active measures, which are aimed at protection of natural resources, waste recycling and reduction of energy consumption, as well as containment of greenhouse gas emissions.
At the end of the day, we advanced a larger project – one equipped with playful pieces of art, some interesting attractions, and lessons, all to match the clients’ fun and educational purposes.
Noémie Sebban
The first step was to build up the team, composed by 4 students from 3 different countries, background and specificity in their studies. The global idea of reusing an abandoned land used and transformed by the human hand came early in the process of searching for concept. Once we found a site to implement the project in, we did several meetings during which we were talking and sketching ideas of what the global design could be like and what could it activate. Through the whole process we kept in mind the fact that the design must reconnect our senses and the history of the site through the architectural path. The design research was enriched by many references of land art and sensory architecture. Once the draft of the design was set, we worked actively to draw scaled 2D and 3D to verify our intuitions.
Community and Environmental Impact
Bruno Krehula
The Sensory Museum is designed to foster a deep connection between visitors and the environment. By guiding visitors through a sensory journey that highlights the site’s historical and natural significance, the museum promotes awareness and appreciation for both local heritage and the surrounding ecosystem. Additionally, the museum serves as a cultural and educational hub for the community, hosting site-specific art installations, performances, and interactive spaces. This fosters a sense of pride and belonging, offering opportunities for both education and community engagement, and ultimately contributing to the cultural preservation of the region.
Kiana Zarrabi
We envision the museum as a community hub that fosters connection through features like Art Platforms at the dunes, showcasing local and international artists while hosting community events. The Interactive Spaces encourage deeper engagement, allowing visitors to touch, smell, and reflect on their surroundings. The museum also plays a role in educating visitors about local marine ecosystems through the Underwater Experience, showcasing the impact of past mining activities.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
How do you envision your Sensory Museum design positively affecting individuals and the community?
In our ideal sensory museum concept, we would like to exposure individuals by enhancing the welfare and bearing in them the emotional ties with society. Immersive, multi-sensory experiences are at the core of our designs, where our goal is to urge the audience to ground themselves in the present moment, be more mindful and refill their minds. The determination and focus coins relaxation.The organization also aims to become a base of cultural works exhibiting contemporary and traditional pieces as well as holding local and international art shows as well as using the museum space to host cultural and artistic events. Various environmental and sustainability-related courses will also help participants get an insight into the importance of nature and promote its care. Overall the mission of the Virtual Diet Anything Sensorial Museum is to mend social bonds, strengthen cultural self-identity and push towards the shared goal of the environmental conservation.
Noémie Sebban
This sensory museum is located in an abandoned place fulfilled with a rich past important for the island (Sardinia). Its presence could help the community and outsiders to learn about the history of the site through a sensory experience, and reactivated this site that is not visited so much.
Guidance for Aspiring Designers
Bruno Krehula
My advice to aspiring designers is to immerse yourself fully in the process and always be open to learning. Each competition offers new perspectives, and the more you participate, the more you grow as a designer. Embrace each project as an opportunity to think outside conventional boundaries and create spaces that you are passionate about. Focus on the sensory and emotional experience your design can offer, and remember that great architecture is not just about visuals—it’s about creating spaces that resonate with people on a deeper level. Above all, put your heart into your work and strive to make a positive impact.
Kiana Zarrabi
We advise aspiring designers to focus on integrating sensory experiences with historical and environmental contexts. Consider how materials, textures, and spaces can evoke emotions and deepen connections to the site. Collaboration with the community can also enrich your design approach.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
For those passionate about creating sensory-rich architectural spaces, I recommend immersing yourself in the site’s history and environment to inform your design. Experiment with materials and consider how light, sound, and space interact to enhance sensory experiences.
Collaboration with diverse teams can bring new perspectives, and focusing on sustainability will ensure your designs have a positive community impact. Ultimately, aim to create spaces that enrich visitor experiences while respecting the environment and fostering community connections.
Noémie Sebban
I think we need to build stimulating spaces while trying to stay as close as possible to the human needs sensory wise.
Reflections on Winning
Bruno Krehula
Winning the Sensory Museum Design Competition has left me speechless. I am truly overwhelmed by this recognition and am deeply grateful that the community appreciated the efforts of both my team and me. It’s an honor to share this achievement with my colleagues and all the other finalists who presented incredible work. This experience has been an unforgettable milestone in my career.
Kiana Zarrabi
Winning the Sensory Museum Design Competition feels incredibly rewarding, as it highlights the importance of creating spaces that resonate with visitors on multiple levels. This recognition reinforces our commitment to innovative design that intertwines history, environment, and sensory engagement.
Mehdi Nejati Karimabad
We are very pleased to have won the award for the best concept in museum design, it makes us feel that our labor was not in vain and once again we have proved that everything is possible if one is given the time and effort to do so and at the same time it is always pleasant to hear others appreciate the hard work put into the creative element by especially judging the sensory part of the architectural construction which we have designed knowing well that it will leave a lasting impact to anyone and the whole community. Support of this nature allows us to move beyond the status quo and to aim for new horizons showing how contemporary buildings and structures can bend or even defy expectations, and still fit in with the surroundings and fulfill the requirements of the functionality objectives. It enhances our faith in the power of creating architectural spaces that include references to the past, the nature and the culture as design solutions that communicate with the people being part of the space created.
Noémie Sebban
It was surprising, I’m not going to lie, but it feels good to create a project that gain credits, especially on that topic.
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