The Tønder Marsh permanent exhibition is located at the Højer Windmill and adjacent grain storage buildings placed in the Tønder Marsh area, part of the world heritage Wadden Sea site.

The design encourages an interest and further exploration into the sometimes-hidden stories and man-made interventions that has formed this fascinating and ever-changing area of Western-Denmark.

Divided into two key spaces of the Højer grain storage buildings (‘big spiker’ and ‘little spiker’), the design seeks to link the flow and visual connection of the rooms through materiality, colour and design expression.

‘Big spiker’ spans over three floor levels and utilises 3d-printed models of towns and buildings in the area combined with interactive water installations alongside remarkable historical objects. ‘Little spiker’ offers a contrasting experience with an immersive installation of an experimental climate game with large scale projections, where the visitor can shape the landscape of the Tønder marshlands.   

Visitors can engage in a varied media and presentation of the area consisting of tactile 3d printed physical models alongside digital interactive installations and projections. The design works sensitively with the context of the existing mill through a series of lightweight showcases and plateaus that represent literal fragments of the Tønder marsh area. Material choices of dark steel and oak draw from the tectonics of the mill as well as the design of showcases that reference the grain pulley systems within the original building.

The design is conceived as part of an overall vision for the area that will continue to develop a wayfinding and further installations contributing to the identity of the area continuing into 2020. The design language and correlation between specific points in the Tønder landscape will help to unite the area and raise interest to further explore the uniqueness of its marshlands.