The Challenge: Bringing Municipal Democracy and Civic Life to Life in a Restored Heritage Building
Following the major modernization of Montreal City Hall, the City aimed to establish a permanent exhibition within its walls. Titled “Human City” (“Ville humaine”), the exhibit tells the story of local democracy and civic engagement while highlighting Montreal’s rich municipal archives. The challenge was to design and deploy over a dozen varied interactive stations that seamlessly fit into the historic architecture while providing engaging experiences for diverse audiences.
The Simbioz Solution: End-to-End Interactive Software, Custom Animations, and Studio Voiceover Production
In addition to developing all interactive applications, Simbioz managed the production of custom video animations and complete studio audio creation—including casting and recording professional voiceovers—to power the audio experience within the vintage phone booths.
The exhibition features over a dozen custom interactive stations:
Interactive Rotating Model with Projection Mapping: A scale replica of Montreal City Hall mounted on a visitor-operated rotating podium. Dynamic projection mapping highlights architectural features and interior spaces, synchronized with an adjacent informational touchscreen.
Vintage Multimedia Phone Booths: Custom-built wooden phone booths featuring vintage handsets, allowing visitors to listen to rich historical accounts elevated by studio-recorded voiceovers and archival audio clips.
Digital Wall of Mayors: A large-scale interactive display showcasing the mayors and female mayors throughout Montreal’s history.
Interactive Maps & Digital Timelines: Touchscreen interfaces allowing users to navigate the territorial, political, and social evolution of the city.
Photo Archive Explorer: Dedicated interactive stations for browsing historical photography collections from the municipal archives.
The Results: An Engaging, Accessible, and Living Heritage Experience
By combining discreet technology, custom audio-visual content creation, and rich archival assets, the “Human City” exhibition turns Montreal City Hall into an active civic interpretation center. Visitors of all ages can independently explore the city’s democratic heritage in an intuitive and memorable way.
