Dachstein Visitor Centre

The effects of climate change are immediately visible on the Dachstein Glacier, where around half of the ice has disappeared over the past 100 years. At the newly opened visitor centre of the Dachstein Glacier Railway, guests can learn about the close link between global and regional climate developments, and the consequences of global warming for this unique Alpine landscape.

Ars Electronica Solutions commissioned Garamantis to create interactive installations that convey scientific findings in an intuitive and emotional way. Visitors are immersed in a multimedia experience in which they can vividly and directly perceive complex interrelationships.

Global view: the Half Dome Globe

The impressive Half Dome Globe draws visitors’ attention as soon as they enter the valley station. Atmospheric, oceanic and geophysical data from the European Space Agency (ESA) visualise the global connections of climate change on its hemispherical projection surface. Visitors can explore this data interactively via a multi-touch screen.

Animated displays show how ocean currents, temperature zones, and changes in ice and land areas shape the Earth, demonstrating that all processes on our planet are interconnected. The Half Dome Globe provides an emotional introduction to the exhibition, opening visitors’ eyes to the global dimensions of climate change.

Regional focus: Climate Change on the Dachstein

At the 2,700-metre-high mountain station, an interactive touchscreen installation invites visitors to take a regional perspective. Here, visitors can explore scientific data, historical developments, and current measurements of changes to the Dachstein region.

Expanded by Garamantis, the application uses large-scale visualisations and intuitive interactions to make climate change in the region tangible. It illustrates the transition from a global to a local scale, presenting abstract climate phenomena in a concrete, location-specific and understandable way.

Technology meets sustainability in the visitor centre

The new experience rooms of the Dachstein Glacier Railway symbolise the region’s transformation. Following the conclusion of alpine skiing operations, the mountain station underwent extensive modernisation and was fitted with sustainable technology, including a powerful photovoltaic system.

The installations created by Garamantis bring together scientific information and aesthetic experience. Here, knowledge is imparted and emotionally anchored through interaction and amazement at the fragile beauty of nature.

This project on the Dachstein Glacier demonstrates how digital interactions and immersive media can help to make complex issues such as climate change more accessible. The interplay of design, technology and content creates an experience that makes knowledge tangible. It touches visitors and encourages them to reflect on the visible traces that climate change is already leaving behind.

Photos: Isabel Schölmbauer