Haus der Berge, Berchtesgaden (Germany)

The “Haus der Berge” is not your average natural history museum: The newly built alpine information centre presents the natural wonders of the Berechtsgaden National Park in an impressive multimedia exhibition, reinforced by Fohhn loudspeaker systems.

A significant part of the information centre in Germany’s only alpine national park is given over to the “Bergvitrine”. Through its use of corroded steel and untreated larch, the modern cube-shaped construction is designed to express “the transitory existence of both man and nature” according to project leader Ulrich Brendel. The 17,000 square metre exhibition space brings to life the natural habitat and biological diversity of the alps. Visitors can also glimpse the underwater world of the Königsee and the living environment of mountain dwellers such as the golden eagle, chamois and marmot. The main display is an ascending landscape panorama that gives an overview of the entire spectrum of life in the UNESCO recognised biosphere region. Visitors can traverse the main habitats of water, woodland, mountain pasture, rocks and caves, with the highlight being a mountain emulation from which they can view the wonders of nature on a 15-metre wide projection complete with natural sound effects. Every 15 minutes, the slatted projection screen opens to reveal a real-life breathtaking view of the national park’s most famous mountain summit, the Watzmann. With the display aiming to connect people with nature, the sight of the real Watzmann must surely make that a reality.

The various graphic, photo and video elements are accompanied by lavish lighting and sound production. To ensure the highest quality background audio, a range of Fohhn systems have been installed including three Linea Focus LFI-120 line array systems with beam steering, and two LX-100 line source loudspeakers, as well as four CS-04 ceiling loudspeakers, six AT-07 compact full range systems, four AS-31 subwoofers and two D-2.1500 DSP amplifiers.

Our thanks to Zeller-Technik and Rockshop for this successful installation and congratulations on an excellent project.