Yin Yu Tang
Through this media-rich experience, Web site and kiosk users explore a 3-D house to discover a Chinese region’s renowned architecture and the generations of a family that made it their home.
Yin Yu Tang is an elegant, rural home originally located in a small, remote village in the southeastern region of Huizhou in China’s Anhui Province. Built in the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911) by a Chinese merchant surnamed Huang, the residence was home to the Huang family for over two hundred years. By the mid-1980s, all surviving Huang family members had moved away from their home which sat in silence until 1997, when the family and the government authorized the house to be transported across the world, to be opened to the public at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Through this media-rich, interactive experience, Web site visitors and kiosk users can explore the house to discover this rare example of the region’s renowned architecture and learn about the daily life of the Huang family. The heart of the experience is comprised of five thematic sections that provide a unique lens through which the house can be examined, including Orientation, Construction, Ornamentation, Belongings, and Preservation. Content is segmented into distinct “scenes” within each theme; as visitors navigate between scenes, a persistent 3-D model view of Yin Yu Tang reacts to reveal different features of the house. A visual interactive family tree, dozens of audio interviews, hundreds of historical and contemporary photographs, and many videos are scattered throughout the experience to make this Chinese home “a living house.”
Press & Awards
- “Second Story,” w.e.b., July 2004
- Flash Film Festival, Winner, Educational, 2003
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American Association of Museums Muse Awards, Bronze, History and Culture, 2003
“Beautifully designed and intimate interface. Compelling story told well through many voices. Goes beyond online gallery with the integration of first person narratives. Nice blend of historical and process photos...My favorite part was the orientation. It gave personal stories to this structure that would have been dead to me...Making architecture come alive is not an easy task, but by animating the structure and embellishing it with the story of history, discovery conversion and presentation, the site pulled together in an accessible way a truly large event.”
- Communication Arts, Interactive Design Annual, Info Design, 2003
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Museums and the Web Conference, Best Online Exhibition, 2003
“A very innovative and attractive site. Vibrant color, lovely graphics and animation! It is a pleasure to visit the Huang family and their home. The online presentation is easy to use, educational, and interprets the topic from a unique perspective.”
- Art Directors Awards, Distinctive Merit, Reference/Education, 2003
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“Sound Advice,” HOW, Megan Lane, February 2003
“[S]ome of the most stunning images and sounds on the internet were created in Portland, OR at Second Story.”
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“Inside a Chinese House in Salem, Mass.,” The Christian Science Monitor, Jim Regan, January 2, 2003
“The site is a visual treat throughout, from the colors and layout of the pages to the constant, but never excessive, use of slide shows, QuickTime movies, and animated magnifying glasses...[T]he exhibit as it exists offers a more comprehensive picture of Yin Yu Tang than mere photographic representation could hope to provide.”
- One Show Interactive, Merit, Non-Profit Web Sites, 2003
- I.D., Interactive Media Design Review, Silver, 2003
- Yahoo!, Top Picks of 2002, December 15, 2002
Credits
- Designers
- Brad Johnson, Martin Linde, JD Hooge
- Developers
- Seb Chevrel, David Brewer, Sam Ward
- 3-D Modeler
- Andrew Kudless
- 3-D Visualization
- Matt Arnold
- A/V Editing & Production
- David Waingarten
- Production Artist
- Martin Linde
- Production Assistant
- David Waingarten