The architecture itself carries the narrative: a hyperbolically twisted structure pierced by a cylindrical core that symbolizes the drill string. At the heart of this cylinder lies the mainshow, a circular media space that sets the pace and tone for the visit. A ring of moving light elements around the core translates the idea of rotation and drilling into a kinetic gesture visible throughout the building.

From this centre, a spiraling ramp leads visitors upward through successive thematic zones. Projection mapping, physical models, and original equipment explain exploration, extraction, and processing step by step. The design balances precise technical diagrams with bold spatial gestures, so that engineering logic and spatial form speak the same language.

Visitors are guided through a world where data, design, and machinery interlock. Computer-generated imagery flows across surfaces, real tools and components show the scale of operations, while sound and light underline changes in content from research to field work to future perspectives.

The route culminates in an augmented reality view out to OMV’s real facilities, linking the staged narrative inside the building to the actual landscape beyond. The center becomes a place where engineering turns into a coherent storyline and industrial complexity becomes accessible.

OMV wanted a place where the abstract, data-heavy world of upstream exploration could be understood at a glance by engineers, partners, and non-experts alike. The center needed to communicate detailed technology without feeling like a technical brochure in architectural form.

The exhibition had to fit a striking new building, express OMV’s innovation ambitions, and connect visitors to processes that normally remain hidden in subsurface models and remote facilities.