Halifax, Nova Scotia
The new Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 tells the stories of Canada's immigrants and the history of Pier 21 as an important gateway to this nation. From the time of the first European traders and settlers to the waves of immigrants in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, immigration has had a profound effect on Canada. The Museum’s mandate, to foster public understanding of the experience of immigrants and to highlight the contributions they have made to our ever evolving culture, economy, and way of life, is brought to life on the exhibition floors in two galleries: the Pier 21 Gallery and the Canadian Immigration Gallery.
The Pier 21 Gallery tells the stories of the one million immigrants who came through this marine gateway to Canada from 1928 to 1971, and the people who worked and volunteered at Pier 21. This exhibition space incorporates the historical Pier 21 building and Origin Studios used the wood and painted steel present in the interior as part of our design language. The Canadian Immigration Gallery is a vibrant new exhibit space and in addition to telling important stories and histories through artifacts and graphics, visitors can access the Museum's oral history collection through a number of interactive story stations.
Both exhibitions foreground the first person voices of new and old Canadians through the Canadian Museum of Immigration's rich oral history collection, giving visitors a snapshot of the people who have contributed to the richness and diversity of Canada.
Awards
This exhibit won Gold for Best Museum Environment in the Event Marketer Experience Design Awards, 2015.
Details
Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, Halifax, NS, 2015
Exhibit Design
Exhibit Space: 18,000 square feet
Press
“Canadian Museum of Immigration Reopens Following Expansion,” CTV News Atlantic (25 June 2015)
“Halifax’s Pier 21 Museum Officially Reopens to the Public,” CBC News (23 June 2015)
Eric Pellerin, “Design-Driven Canadian Museums to Visit When They Re-open,” RGD (2 March 2021)