Powering a Nation

The Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s Nineteen Sixty Museum is a world-class exhibition that reflects KNPC’s place as an international leader in one of the world’s most important industries. We were asked to develop this exhibition following the success of a brand centre we delivered for KNPC’s sister company, the Kuwait Oil Company.

The experience intrigues, impresses and educates you about the world of petroleum and the KNPC’s impact on Kuwait as a nation. It takes you on a journey through the company – past, present and future – weaving you through its early origins, celebrating how it got to where it is today and looking at its future ambitions.

The experience uses innovative media and cutting-edge techniques to create a series of immersive spaces that inspire interaction. An interactive ‘ribbon’ threads through the exhibition and unifies the themes into one connected story. There are moments of play with game-based media that put you in the shoes of someone who works for KNPC – you can find out what it takes to run a megaproject or respond to a major incident. The challenges are cleverly designed to focus on holistic planning and to showcase the KNPC’s positive impact around the world.

A recurring message throughout is that KNPC’s impact stretches far beyond the energy sector – it reaches up and down the nation to improves people’s everyday lives and fuel the country’s economy.

Standout moments include a large satellite map of Kuwait that spans an entire floor. Animations fly around the map showing the company’s far-reaching infrastructure. You can zoom into different areas of the map to see KNPC’s impact around the nation – properties, fuel stations, depots, refineries, power plants. Exploring the map triggers images and films that stretch around the surrounding walls and engulf you in the story.

Another key feature is a bespoke 3D theatre featuring a 360-degree widescreen projection. As you enter the theatre, through doors which resemble the blast-proof doors of a control room, a guide invites you to take your seat at a control panel. Here, you can choose your language, don your safety vest, hard hat and 3D goggles and explore the elements and processes that go into oil refining.