Macau Grand Prix Museum

Next generation museum experience explores the vibrant world of racing.

Macau, China
479m
MOP renovation
22k
average daily visitation

The next generation of the Macau Grand Prix Museum is focused on bringing the history and science behind racing to life. Working with the Macau Government Tourism Office, we crafted a one-of-a-kind museum encounter featuring a series of unforgettable interactive experiences at the very forefront of the industry. The immersive museum uses interactivity to bring history to life, igniting visitors’ imaginations as they explore the vibrant world behind, on and beyond the track.

Reimagining an iconic museum

Context

In early 2021, the Macau Grand Prix Museum reopened its doors after an extensive MOP 479 million expansion project. The reimagined museum – now six times bigger with exhibits spread over four floors – focuses on providing visitors an interconnected journey through the history and culture of the Macau Grand Prix over the years.

We worked with Imagination Shanghai to craft a one-of-a-kind immersive museum experience. We started with a comprehensive brand overhaul, creating a bold visual identity that reflects and extends upon the rich history of motorsports. We then developed a series of interactive experiences spread across the museum’s four floors, encouraging visitors to unleash their inner racer as they explore the world of the Macau Grand Prix.

Bringing a brand to life

Branding

The first step in reimagining the Macau Grand Prix Museum was to craft a brand narrative. The idea was to create a design system that was empathetic to the space and experiences within the museum. Steering away from cliches, we developed a brand that was inspired by motorsport while not derivative of it.

Working with design agency For the People, we prioritised giving the museum a distinct, ownable brand on which to build their reputation. Our contemporary approach to this was systematic yet flexible, designed to be used across diverse applications while maintaining a strong brand presence and broad audience appeal.

An interactive journey

Experience Design

Through its renovation of the Grand Prix Museum, the Macau Tourism Authority was looking to provide audiences with an exciting, educational experience. As part of this, we crafted an interconnected visitor journey through a series of interactive installations. These unforgettable experiences put the visitor front and centre as they explored the world of the Macau Grand Prix through an interactive museum that sparked not only excitement but also curiosity and engagement.

Unleash your inner racer

Suit Up

One of the interactive museum’s first experiences, Suit Up helps visitors look the part of a professional racer by customising their very own virtual racing suit. Standing in front of a huge LED screen, visitors can mix-and-match the colours and patterns of their racing suit on a live-tracked, moving model of their body.

When visitors are happy with their selections, they are asked to strike a pose as their newly personalised suit is overlaid onto their photo. Their digital avatar then follows them throughout the rest of the museum experience, while this photo is sent as a digital takeaway to share and remember the experience.

Explore the history + science of racing

Wind Tunnel

Wind Tunnel provides visitors with the chance to explore advances in aerodynamic design and engineering like never before. Relying on cutting-edge computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the activation provides an educational experience into the aerodynamics of F3 cars through the ages.

Interacting directly with a dynamic virtual wind tunnel, visitors can see for themselves how the leaps and bounds that have been made in aerodynamics over the past century have revolutionised the sport they love.

Experience the power of steering

Driving Strength

A racing game like no other, Driving Strength gives museum visitors the chance to feel the power required of drivers in the Macau Grand Prix. Racing around a stunning virtual replica of the famous Macau track, visitors hold tight to a physical steering wheel to keep themselves in the race, experiencing first-hand the sheer force needed to maintain alignment throughout the track’s steep curves and high speeds.

The race of a lifetime

Team Viewer

The final experience of the Macau Grand Prix Museum, Team Viewer gives visitors the chance to put everything they’ve learnt into action. Playing on a huge LED screen, visitors have just one chance to improve their lap time and become the ultimate winner.

Armed with the achievements they’ve obtained throughout all the preceding activations throughout the interactive museum, visitors compete against one another on a virtual Macau Grand Prix track in a celebration of their performance throughout their overall experience.

The future of museum encounters

Exhibition

Opening in early 2021, the new Macau Grand Prix Museum represents the next generation of museum experiences. With a strong visual identity and one-of-a-kind activations, the interactive museum takes visitors on an interconnected journey to discover first-hand the history, science and culture of racing. Using immersion and interactivity to bring past, present and future to life, we give visitors the chance to unleash their inner racer in a museum encounter like no other.

Macau has a long tradition of motorsports, it is part of the local culture. We want the museum to allow future generations to know more and create a connection with the Grand Prix.

Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes
Director of the Macao Government Tourism Office