Blending History with Industry in Exhibit Design

It has been HNI Corporation’s desire to create a museum that celebrates Muscatine, Iowa’s prosperous history of industry, showcasing the heritage of major area corporations. Taking the lead, HNI, the world’s second-largest office furniture manufacturer, was the cornerstone of the resulting new Muscatine History and Industry Center. Through HNI’s longstanding relationship with Silver Oaks, we were charged with the task of moving the endeavor forward and the creation of HNI’s museum experience.

Upstairs in a restored historic building, visitors are welcomed into HNI’s space by beautiful sumi glass panels imprinted with halftone images of past and present HNI members. Created to honor its members as much as the company itself, the exhibit presents visitors with a tasteful blend of nostalgic team member photos, early products and contemporary workstations.

The displays highlight the early beginnings and products of the original Home-O-Nize Co., the people who have made and continue to make HNI a success, and HNI’s current operating companies: HON®, Allsteel®, Gunlocke®, Paoli®, Maxon®, Smartspace™, HNI International, Hearth & Home and Omni.

Mixing industrial influences with contemporary design, sleek 8-foot black powder-coated frames strung with stainless steel wiring form the framework to feature collages of photos, graphics and text panels throughout the exhibit space. HNI products are creatively interspersed in the displays along with interactive touchscreen plasma monitors. Original storage systems and desks are integrated with a modern Allsteel panel system that was customized to chronicle the history of desks. A freestanding display is devoted to the evolution of chairs, illustrating how styles and trends in ergonomics and materials have evolved over the past decades.

Keeping in style with HNI’s quality reputation in the furniture industry, Silver Oaks took careful measures to incorporate a mixture of textures and finishes, incorporating rich cherry veneers, woven fabrics and large specialty glass panels. Dramatic images of product detail shots are hung on the walls as focal points for information groupings.

One entire wall mural is devoted to showcasing the HNI “We Believe” statements, as well as serving as a backdrop for an interactive kiosk where visitors can learn about the HNI culture through a series of video segments.The members photo gallery is highlighted by a video of retirees discussing the early days of what was then the Home-O-Nize Co.

From early planning concepts to design stages, writing and multimedia production, to final fabrication and installation, Silver Oaks employed its full range of capabilities in this three-year project. The result transformed an entire floor of an old historic building into a dynamic exhibit that honors the rich heritage of HNI and shows how a fledgling company started in 1944 has become, according to Fortune magazine, one of America’s Most Admired Companies today.

Visitor Information
Muscatine History and Industry Center
117 West Second Street
Muscatine, Iowa 52761
563-263-1052

For information about what we’ve done for other museums, Click here.