Joburg's Old Fort museum brings history to life

A new interactive experience will allow you to relive history, as though you were right there, with the innovative use of holograms and audio-visual storytelling.

Johannesburg’s Old Fort Museum in the Constitutional Hill precinct has recently enhanced its visitor experience by undergoing extensive design upgrades to make the museum a more appealing and engaging place for families and the youth.

The Old Fort dates back to 1893, and was originally the site of the Johannesburg Jail. It housed common law and white male political prisoners, most notably the South African Communist Party activist, Joe Slovo. In the early 20th century the Women’s Prison was built at Constitutional Hill, and another called Number Four for black prisoners only.

Nelson Mandela was imprisoned at the Old Fort for a short period, he was one of only two black inmates to go there. He was thought too influential to be housed with other black prisoners in the Awaiting Trial Block.

The prison ceased to operate in 1983, and achieved National Heritage Site status in 2017. They now welcome visitors from around the world who want to learn about the former prison’s history and the Struggle. The many stories can now be shared and activists’ histories and messages heard via new interactive technology.

The museum upgrades were undertaken by Formula D Interactive, an interactive design exhibit firm founded by CEO Michael Wolf in 2007. In a very distracting and busy world, museums tend to lose the interest of younger generations, but Wolf and his team hoped to preserve the heritage of the Old Fort by introducing engaging exhibits and installations.

According to Formula D, the upgrade will provide visitors with a ‘curious’ self-guided experience, with an opportunity to engage physically with the history of the site through audio visual storytelling and game-like activities. The use of cutting edge technology is fascinating – you can even interact with a hologram of Joe Slovo in his cell.

The interactive museum installations are housed inside preserved old cells, providing an almost uncannily engaging experience.

‘Many museums in South Africa struggle to get feet through the door, because their traditional fashion of presenting content doesn’t work for their audiences anymore. Formula D uses technology, good storytelling and asks questions and encourage the audience to build their own opinions. At the Old Fort, our intention is to unlock the site’s history in manners that encourage critical thinking for visitors of various age groups and educational backgrounds’, Wolf says.

Specialising in virtual reality museum exhibits and serious games, the interactive design firm is based in Cape Town and has been lending its vision and skills to various local organisations and initiatives, including the Two Oceans Aquarium.