Immersive Edutainment in “The Secret Laboratory” at Augustusburg Castle

© Foto: Sebastian Theilig

(eap) Located near the German city of Chemnitz, Augustusburg Castle was built in 1568 by Elector Augustus of Saxony and is today considered one of the most famous landmarks in the Ore Mountains. Among other things, it houses exhibitions on game and bird studies. From now on, the castle also offers two new educational experiences: In “The Secret Laboratory,” guests aged eight and older can take on exciting tasks related to mineralogy and medicinal herbs.

The Secret Laboratory features a 360-degree backdrop that takes visitors back some 450 years in time – to the era of the electoral couple Augustus and Anna. Through sophisticated set design – including precisely coordinated lighting, layered sound design, and subtle effects, which allow seamless transitions between the two narratives – visitors are immersed either in the story “Treasure of the Earth”, which revolves around Augustus’ passion for mineralogy, or in “Elixir of Life”, which focuses on Electress Anna and her knowledge of healing herbs. Each themed experience lasts about one hour and offers a variety of interactive tasks that put learning through hands-on participation at the center. Additional show and entertainment elements are intended to leave participants in awe.

Groups of up to 20 people (or up to 24 for educational group programs) can take part in each session, guided through the experience by a host.

These two new experiences, currently offered in a soft-opening phase and scheduled for official launch at the end of August, were developed in collaboration with Creative Studio Berlin by designer Chris Lange and Chris Lattner together with his team at THE ROOM Laboratories (Labs).

“The client‘s request was both distinctive and ambitious: to develop an interactive learning experience that explores regional themes within the historic setting of a castle. During my initial site visit, I was profoundly inspired by the castle‘s architectural grandeur and the depth of history etched into its walls. This experience shaped a bold creative vision – to merge the immersive storytelling techniques of theme parks with advanced technology, resultingin a truly unparalleled educational experience,“ states Chris Lange, Executive Creative Director and Owner of Creative Studio Berlin.

Chris Lattner explains: “The Laboratory project at Augustusburg Castle challenged us on multiple levels – technically, creatively, and historically. On the technical side, we had to bring seemingly impossible ideas to life: making a 500-year-old figure appear convincingly, enabling children to extract silver from ore and cast it into coins, and distilling a herbal elixir […]. Each effect had to be utterly convincing to preserve the immersive experience. But the far greater challenge lay in historical autenticity. Every element – from the architecture and furnishings to the language and lighting – had to reflect the year 1550 with precision. How do you illuminate a vast hall without modern light? What did a Renaissance-era greenhouse look like? How would Electress Anna have addressed her subjects? […] This wasn‘t just about creating an experience – it was about reviving a world […].“ ■