Halifax Citadel National Historic Site
Object recognition technology and storytelling convey different histories
Nova Scotia, Canada
Overview
From a far-flung outpost to a crucial link in Canada’s WWII defenses, the Citadel has a storied and complex past. ngx’s work in Halifax was wide-ranging—from gamified interactives to object recognition on touchscreens and large-scale animations that trace the city’s history. Our work supports interpretive experts to connect with new audiences via creative narrative approaches that make the most of technical possibilities and remain rooted in historical scholarship.
Scope Highlights
- 2D & 3D Animation
- Object Recognition
- Video & Audio Portraits
- Interactive Software
- 3D Architectural Modelling
- Content Strategy & Development
- Archival Production
We’d like to thank our project partners:
What’s in a Place Name?
The “One Land, Four Peoples” interactive explored encounters between the French, British, Acadian, and the First Nations peoples through the region’s most contested decades. Built with object recognition (OR) technology, visitors select a physical “lens” and place it on a touchscreen to activate cartographic content that outlines how specific groups experienced the land. Technology reinforces key learning objectives around perspective, empathy, and disparate experiences of the same events.
The “Story Stations” compel visitors to explore competing perspectives through dramatized portrayals of historical figures. These prominent people narrate their personal experience and understanding of key historical events from various moments in the Citadel’s history. All of our animation and modelling work involved close collaboration with subject matter experts who had extremely detailed working knowledge of key design features from the Fort’s various phases and the city’s evolution.
