Our Wondrous Planet
A Blanck Canvas x Melbourne Museum
Bringing Science to Life Through Interactive Exhibition Fabrication
When Melbourne Museum launched Our Wondrous Planet, a major new permanent gallery exploring the ecosystems that connect life on Earth, we were invited to design and fabricate a series of custom interactive exhibits that transform scientific concepts into tactile experiences. Designed to inspire wonder and built to endure decades of public engagement, each piece combines sculptural craftsmanship, material experimentation, and interactive design.
From permanent museum installations and science centre exhibits to tactile learning experiences and custom exhibition fabrication, we love creating interactive environments where curiosity, storytelling, and engineering quietly come together.
Because the most memorable discoveries are often the ones you can reach out and touch.
Recreating Frozen History
Hidden within the Ice Biome of Melbourne Museum’s Our Wondrous Planet, the interactive Ice Core transforms climate science into a tactile moment of wonder. Beneath the surface, a custom steel housing and weighted mechanism were engineered to deliver smooth, precise movement, allowing the core to rise and return effortlessly while withstanding years of continuous interaction.
Concealed illumination running through the centre creates an icy glow, while numerous silicone casting iterations were undertaken to achieve the perfect balance of transparency and trapped air bubbles. Through extensive material experimentation, we carefully recreated the appearance of a real polar ice core, resulting in a hyper-realistic exhibit that combines precision engineering with sculptural craftsmanship.
Built for durability and discovery, the Ice Core invites visitors to uncover a frozen time capsule designed to inspire curiosity for years to come.
Illuminating the Reef
Within the Southern Reef environment, we fabricated over forty interactive Sea Urchins, transforming a complex ecological story into a tactile experience. Beginning as 3D printed masters, each urchin was moulded and cast in translucent tinted resin before being illuminated from within. Designed to withstand years of high visitor traffic, the glowing sculptures invite audiences to actively engage with the delicate balance of Australia’s southern marine ecosystems.
Nearby, visitors discover a series of tactile Port Jackson Shark Eggs, inspired by the remarkable nesting behaviour of one of Australia’s most distinctive sharks. Digitally modelled, 3D printed, hand-painted, and cast in durable resin, each egg was fitted with concealed magnetic connections and engineered for constant handling. Built for playful interaction and long-term performance, the eggs encourage visitors to explore, experiment, and uncover the perfect hiding place within the reef.
Exploring the Invisible World
Inspired by underground fungal networks, the interactive Nutrient Crystals were sculpted and resin cast before being fitted with multi-coloured illumination. Responding to touch, the glowing forms bring the hidden world beneath our feet to life.
One of the exhibition’s most unexpected moments lies beneath the ice. Reaching into a concealed opening, visitors discover the warm nose of a snow leopard. Hand-sculpted, moulded, and painted, this playful tactile experience reveals one of nature’s remarkable adaptations while creating a memorable moment of surprise.