Paleis Het Loo
Paleis Het Loo became a museum in 1984. It once was a house, a summer residence and a home for the Oranje family, underwent a necessary and descent revamp. It also needed new audio tours.
Scope
Creation of 3 engaging audio guides in 3 languages, concept - script - production - execution
Challenges
The layout of the routes is not chronological in time, besides that, the history is extremely complex and the characters of the former residents are very diverse. Besides creating engaging stories, the audio tour also had to ensure that visitors would not stay on a route for more than 30 minutes so that the museum could accommodate and present the audio tours for every visitor on busy days.
The solution
The solution lay in creating 3 continuous stories, each lasting 30 minutes. We moved away from the traditional ‘picture-chat’ and developed stories that highlight the personalities of the residents and thus give context to the furnishings and key objects in each room.
Execution
In the East wing, visitors meet the first occupants of Paleis Het Loo. The story of Willem III and Mary is a dramatic mix of power, family and religion. When the young couple became king and queen of England, Paleis Het Loo became the centre of power in Europe. Count Hans Willem Bentinck – Willem III’s best friend – will guide you, and tell you all about 17th-century politics and the secrets of the palace . . .
In the West wing you can choose: Wilhelmina’s home, Wilhelmina, King Willem-Alexander’s great-grandmother, lived at Paleis Het Loo. This was her favourite palace. Guides Ziarah and Mark will take you into her world, with stories about life at the palace in the 19th and 20th centuries. Though Wilhelmina is the star, the story also includes her parents, King Willem III and Emma, her husband Hendrik, her daughter Juliana and son-in-law Bernhard.
At home with the Royals, a fun and up-tempo family tour in a TV-boulevard magazine format where 2 presenters and 2 experts explain that a palace is just like your home. What does home feel like? It’s not just a house to live in, or – if you’re king or queen – to work in. The palace is full of expensive furniture and old paintings. But is it also nice and cosy . . . ?
