Museum of City Infrastructure
The Museum of City Infrastructure is a remarkable venue dedicated to the 'anatomy' of the metropolis. It reveals how this highly technological and complex mechanism is organised to ensure the smooth operation of all services and facilities in the city and to maintain urban comfort.
An interactive permanent exhibition was developed from scratch. The full project cycle from conception to realisation was implemented within the shortest possible time, in parallel with the construction and renovation of the building during the COVID-19 pandemic. A set of construction documents for 80+ exhibits was developed, most of which are interactive. The whole development took two years.
Exhibition zones and visitors route
The museum is located in a heritage-listed building. Its historical appearance has been restored due to reconstruction. One of the challenges was not to affect the historical elements during the building phase. Thus the exhibition is actually a kind of a building within a building, i.e. a self-supporting, free-standing structure that literally does not come into contact with the historic walls. All communications, electricity and network connections for the exhibits are set up in cable trays inside the access floor.
Fragments of technical documentation
CONTROL ROOM. LOBBY
Control Room – both captivating and informative large scale installation located in the reception area. Hi-resolution 12,5x7 m seamless LED canvas impresses with its scale right from the start. Guests of the venue are actually delving behind the scenes and find themselves right in the midst of the day-to-day operations conducted by the municipal services, in the control room. Real-time alerts about tasks and operations, weather and traffic widgets, infographics about water and electricity consumption, emergencies and resident appeals – visitors are immersed in the exciting and unexplored realm of municipal services that make their everyday life safe and comfortable. Interactive panels at the bottom enable visitors to discover interesting historical facts, up-to-date information and to take a sneak peek at the exposition.
Complete installation in the museum
More info about the Control Room installation.
APARTMENT. EXHIBITION HALL #1
In the center of the hall there is an apartment presenting a collective vision of a typical home for a citizen. Visitors can see not only the interior but different types of communications as well. These work as a navigation system and link the apartment to various themed areas dedicated to different facilities and systems making urban life so comfortable. The hall presents information about gas supply, heating and electricity systems, as well as sewerage and water supply, waste sorting, operation of elevators and renovation of apartment buildings.
“Apartment” hall visualizations
Fully assembled “Apartment” hall photos
Modern Elevator
Modern Elevator multimedia installation combines the original elevator equipment (a real cabin and automatic doors) with the upper screens to create an image of a transparent elevator shaft through which a virtual lift is moving. Visitors can routinely call the elevator by pressing a button. As the virtual elevator arrives, the doors open and a built-in screen demonstrates a perspective extension, details about design and engineering features of this particular model.
Visualization and complete installation in the museum
More info about Elevator installation.
Old-style Elevator
This installation shows a cabin and doors of an old-style elevator, decorated with an “Out of order” sign. If a visitor decides to press the button anyway, one is twenty stories is played randomly, telling about the emergence and functioning of elevators all over the world.
Fragments of documentation and fully assembled installation in the museum
Digital Buffing Game
A video projection demonstrates a façade with stains and vandalism marks, and a paint roller on a long handle is located nearby. A visitor can use the roller to buff the wall and “erase” inscriptions and dirt. By doing that, they reveal infographics about the maintenance and operation of housing stock of the city.
Concept visualization, control system and fully assembled installation in the museum
Information Modules
The four freestanding information blocks are the highlights of the Apartment hall. Within visitors’ journey they symbolise the transition from the apartment micro-level to the urban infrastructure macro-level.
Each block shows an average daily consumption of water, heat, energy and gas in the city. Different sides of each block represent a particular kind of information.
The first side contains a pullout drawer with schematic maps and diagrams of water, heat, electricity and gas supply systems.
On the second side, there is a screen which offers to watch a short cartoon about the relevant sector of urban infrastructure, to read answers to the most popular questions about city services and to watch some "before & after" photos.
The third side contains aт Emergency brigade micro-installation with 3D-printed figures. All of the emergency brigade's equipment is grouped into five sections: vehicles, workwear and equipment, tools, and auxiliary equipment. The figures are arranged against a screen which displays additional information.
Finally, on the fourth side visitors can find quiz questions which can be answered after closer examination of the exhibition.
Each block shows an average daily consumption of water, heat, energy and gas in the city. Different sides of each block represent a particular kind of information.
The first side contains a pullout drawer with schematic maps and diagrams of water, heat, electricity and gas supply systems.
On the second side, there is a screen which offers to watch a short cartoon about the relevant sector of urban infrastructure, to read answers to the most popular questions about city services and to watch some "before & after" photos.
The third side contains aт Emergency brigade micro-installation with 3D-printed figures. All of the emergency brigade's equipment is grouped into five sections: vehicles, workwear and equipment, tools, and auxiliary equipment. The figures are arranged against a screen which displays additional information.
Finally, on the fourth side visitors can find quiz questions which can be answered after closer examination of the exhibition.
Fragments of documentation and complete installation in the museum
Combined Heat and Power Plant
The installation presents one particular type of thermal power plant, namely a combined heat and power plant. Visitors see kind of a bas-relief of a power plant unit, a chimney and a cooling tower. The power plant unit is supplied with steam turbine and gas turbine models it also has a number of integrated screens demonstrating videos. The installation demonstrates the process of electricity generation using gas and the advantages of gas over other energy sources.
Concept visualizations
Fully assembled installation in the museum
Fragments of project documentation
Thermographic camera
An installation supplements a dummy model of a heating pipe with a kinetic screen to simulate the operation of a thermographic camera. While visitors are moving the screen along the pipe, a specially developed interface presents its thermographic image and allows to visualise and detect heat losses.
Visualization and complete installation in the museum
Types of Power Plants
The installation combines a decorated screen with touch sensors hidden behind four graphic tags. Each sign depicts one of the most common types of power plants: thermal power plants (coal- or gas-fired), hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants. Not even touching the signs, visitors can trigger video playback and watch one of four animations explaining how a power plant of a particular type generates electricity.
Fragments of documentation, fully assembled installation and sensor system
Diagram of the Gas Supply System
The installation combines an interactive diagram of the gas supply system of a city supplemented with a pipeline section and a real shut-off device. By interacting with the installation, visitors get to know how the gas supply is shut off and rerouted in case of an incident.
Fully assembled installation in the museum
More info about the Diagram of the Gas Supply System installation.
Waste Sorting Game
An interactive game allows visitors to learn the basics of waste sorting and to understand why the separate waste collection is so important. The installation consists of a large LED screen and a wall-mounted pedestal with buttons, which is decorated as 5 containers. They are labeled with different waste types. Visitors can press a button to sort the different items falling down on a screen. Right or wrong decisions evoke messages with various facts about recycling.
Concept visualization, control system and fragments of project documentation
Model of the Wastewater Treatment Plant
The installation Wastewater Treatment Plant Model delivers information not only to visitors directly interacting with the automated model but also to those standing at some distance away. High-resolution projection on the semicircular surface demonstrates process chains of water treatment and waste disposal in general. The screen in front of the model placed on a turntable presents a digital twin which is precisely synchronized with any movement of the turntable. Interacting with an interface, visitors can rotate the model, and its digital twin literally allows them to take a look behind the scenes: to examine the wastewater treatment facilities more closely and to find out how they operate.
Concept visualisation and complete installation
More about Model of the Wastewater Treatment Plant installation.
CITY. EXHIBITION HALL #2
The hall is located on two floors. It is divided into several thematic areas, which demonstrate how the large and complex city infrastructure functions efficiently and smoothly. Visitors can not just witness but literally experience what it takes to make the city comfortable, modern and safe.
The impressive highlight of the hall is a large-scale model of the city (18x5 m) supplemented both by AR and VR experience. It presents a collective image of a modern metropolitan city and can be observed both from the ground floor (demonstrating the complex and highly technological underground systems hidden from the sight of city dwellers) and from the second floor.
The impressive highlight of the hall is a large-scale model of the city (18x5 m) supplemented both by AR and VR experience. It presents a collective image of a modern metropolitan city and can be observed both from the ground floor (demonstrating the complex and highly technological underground systems hidden from the sight of city dwellers) and from the second floor.
“City” hall visualizations
Fully assembled “City” hall, photos of the first and the second floor
Road Machinery
Road Machinery is a kinetic installation with a two-axis mobile panel computer. Visitors can move it along high relief models of municipal road machinery. By placing the screen in front of a particular vehicle model, the visitor can examine its 3D model in detail, take a look at additional photos including historical ones, learn about its functions, design and discover some interesting facts such as how a particular car has been depicted in popular culture.
Fully assembled installation in the museum
More about Road Machinery installation.
Underground Moscow: the Truth and the Myths
The installation combines a large-scale video wall with a button bar and headphones located nearby. That provides two levels of perception for visitors. Those at a distance can watch an animated map of the city underground, while those who have already explored it up close can listen to stories telling about urban myths and incredible truths.
Concept visualization, fully assembled installation in the museum, control system and fragments of documentation
Bridges & Tunnels Fauxlography
The fauxlography installation Bridges & Tunnels is formed by a holographic module integrated into the decorated exhibition set and a rotary encoder knob placed on a pedestal in front of it. Rotating the knob, visitors can select one of the well-known engineering structures in the city – iconic bridges and famous tunnels – and watch a 3D graphics video providing interesting details about its history, configuration and maintenance.
Fully assembled installation in the museum
Types of Paving Tiles
The installation combines two decorated screens, a bench and a sensor. Default still images on the screens is set up so that visitors initially get the impression that the entire floor is covered with real tiles. When a visitor sits down on a bench, the sensor is triggered and one of two videos starts up. Short cartoons depict the history of paving and explain the variety of paving tiles that citizens can observe in the city centre.
Concept visualization, fully assembled installation in the museum, control system and fragments of documentation
Cycling Tour
The interactive installation provides an opportunity to take a cycling tour along one of the 17 Moskva River embankments by means of a city bicycle mounted in front of a panoramic projection. The speed of the ride depends on how fast the visitor is pedalling. Visitors can move along the chosen route, observe iconic landmarks and discover extra information about them in pop-up boxes.
Fully assembled installation in the museum
More info about the Cycling Tour installation.
History of Promenade Areas. Interactive Map with Slider
The interactive map presented on a screen shows how the urban green spaces have changed over time. Visitors can move a slider along a panel indicating different time periods to switch the map content. The journey takes them through five centuries and the last stop presents plans for the future greening of the city.
Concept visualization, fully assembled installation in the museum, CAD model and fragments of documentation
Flowery Photo Booth
The interactive robotic installation Flowery Photo Booth is an automated photo area where visitors can learn about the basic rules of flower arrangement in landscape design in a playful and engaging way: choose a flower, make a small flowery composition to be shown in the background, shoot a video inside the photo booth and receive it by email.
Fully assembled installation and 3D CAD model
More info about the Flowery Photo Booth robotic installation.
Digital Infrastructure & Automotion
Museum's system of control and monitoring (SUMO) implements scheduled automatic exhibit operation, enables to edit timetable, as well as to launch the exhibits manually. The SUMO user interface is run on an Apple iPad. The status of each element in the exhibit can also be viewed there which allows the staff to monitor and respond quickly to performance anomalies.
SUMO interface on the Apple iPad
The system is based on IOT/IIOT principles and uses the MQTT protocol. The modular architecture and designed data template ensures quick integration of the exhibits that make up the multi-media complex. The MQTT broker runs on a server in the museum's local isolated network. In addition, a content management system is deployed on the server and its backup for recovery (NAS).
Multimedia exposition control servers
The control of lighting and illumination for the exhibits has also been automated and integrated into SUMO. Seven control cabinets equipped with Siemens Simatic programable logic controllers (PLCs), contactors, DMX512 and DALI controllers for managing dynamic illumination were designed and installed. Cabinets form a distributed network of power and control of dynamic and static architecture lighting fixtures. Integration with the SUMO is achieved via the MQTT client implemented on the Siemens controllers.
Exposition lighting control system electrical cabinets
Credits
Made in PITCH
Client: Sila Sveta
Head of development: Vladimir Makhnov
Technical management: Danil Gerasimenko
Multimedia and electrical engineers: Pavel Bezrodniy, Denis Korenkov, Maxim Krivorudchenko
Mechanical engineers: Anatoly Krikunov, Vladimir Ilushkin
Network Engineer: Dmitry Mashnin
Process engineers: Grigory Chukarev, Vasily Kuraev
Visualisations: Anastasiya Kulyabina
* Special thanks go to Alyona Kharitonova who was in charge of the content and visitor experience and helped to describe the ideas behind our technical solutions.
