Media art explaining the acoustic principles of the Great Bell of King Seongdeok through visual movement [National Museum of Korea]
Media art explaining the acoustic principles of the Great Bell of King Seongdeok through visual movement [National Museum of Korea]

The National Museum of Korea has won two Red Dot Awards at the Red Dot Design Award 2026 — one of the world's three most prestigious design prizes — taking honors in both the multisensory exhibition and museum education categories.

The wins carry particular significance as recognition on the global stage for work that breaks down barriers for people with disabilities and embeds social inclusion into an education platform.

The two winning works — the sensory exhibition space "Space_In-Between" and the cultural diversity education platform "Modu! ABCD" — each received a Red Dot Winner distinction in the brand and communication design category.

"Space_In-Between (Sa-i)," an immersive exhibition space that uses multiple senses to bridge the divide between people with and without disabilities, fostering connection and coexistence [National Museum of Korea]
"Space_In-Between (Sa-i)," an immersive exhibition space that uses multiple senses to bridge the divide between people with and without disabilities, fostering connection and coexistence [National Museum of Korea]

"Space_In-Between" is an interactive exhibition space designed to foster connection and coexistence across the divide between people with and without disabilities. It brings to life the beat-frequency principle of the Great Bell of King Seongdeok — a Silla-era bronze bell — through visual, auditory, tactile and vibrational experiences. A large-scale media art installation measuring 4 by 4 meters is synchronized with vibrating chairs and subwoofer speakers, allowing visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing to see and feel the movement of sound with their eyes and bodies. The space has drawn praise for creating an inclusive exhibition environment through tactile exhibits, sign language interpretation, audio description, traditional rubbing displays and a rest area.

Main screen of Modu! ABCD [National Museum of Korea]
Main screen of Modu! ABCD [National Museum of Korea]

"Modu! ABCD" is the first Red Dot winner from the National Museum of Korea's educational experience platform lineup. It is designed to help children and teenagers understand world cultures through Korea's cultural heritage, using game-style interactive content that connects cultural elements — including writing, music, food, lifestyle and patterns — to heritage artifacts. The platform has drawn praise for featuring characters that do not resemble any specific race or physical appearance, and for encouraging users to ask their own questions, explore independently and discover meaning for themselves.

The awards represent international recognition for museum content that goes beyond design to encompass user experience, social value and inclusivity.

Yu Hong-jun, director of the National Museum of Korea, said the double win reflects the museum's efforts to share cultural heritage with more people and make it accessible for everyone to learn and enjoy together. "We will continue to innovate our exhibitions, museum education and digital services based on cultural heritage, building a museum open to all and a cultural heritage that everyone can share," he said.


terry@heraldcorp.com