The pavilion’s shape and materials were variable, thus creating a living architecture: transparent shapes prevailed during the day, at night the planet was illuminated by lighting installations. This structure turned the planet of the media itself into a symbol for the changing effect that the media have had on the history of mankind. The space lift was another architectural characteristic. The world’s largest passenger lift was able to transport 220 visitors into the inside of Planet m in one go.
Planet m – media for mankind
Inside Planet m - Bertelsmann AG’s corporate EXPO pavilion at the Expo 2000 - Triad Berlin brought the world of media to life. Planet m’s eye-catching and spaceship-like architecture, hovering on steel grinders some nine meters above the ground, multiple projection and display systems, and the media gallery were highlights of the 2000 world exhibition. A recordbreaking 10,000 visitors per day came to experience Planet m. The combination of striking outside architecture and the powerful experience generated unheard of amounts of media coverage.
Architecture
Multiple Projection System
Inside Planet m, a multiple projection system explained the most important stages of the history of mankind and media. Elaborate image compositions tell the story of evolution from the first characters to the printing press to the digital age, with particular emphasis on the connection between the media and their history of reception. The soundtrack, recorded by the London Royal Philharmonic Orchestra for this purpose, underscored this grand visual storytelling.
Media Gallery
The Media Gallery showcased Bertelsmann’s varied business segments. Triad Berlin arranged 137 multi-media productions and exhibits into a novel presentation medium. A type case of 30 m x 8 m in size included objects, slides, videos and texts behind a façade of Privalite special glass. The individual windows were able to change their state from transparent to opaque, creating a lively pixel raster which held together the heterogeneous contents artistically.
Project map
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