From June 2025, the Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne will be presenting a spectacular new exhibition: “The Swiss Railway Experience”. At the heart of this exhibition is a special eye-catcher – a 2-metre round LED screen that becomes a visual time machine. Our mission: to bring the iconic Swiss station clock to life and take visitors on a 180-second journey through the history of the Swiss railroad.
This was a premiere project for us – our first “round” film that not only uses the circular format, but makes it the central design element.
Our mission
To develop a gripping animation that conveys the theme of “pop culture” and the influence of the railroad on people’s everyday lives. The special format, a circular LED wall, was not only to be taken into account, but creatively exploited. The aim was to transport visitors to different eras and combine the historical, contemporary and imaginary aspects of the railroad.
Motion design meets Swiss design tradition
The entire production was realized in motion design style, combining real video footage with graphic animations. The clear, iconic lines of the Mondaine station clock served as inspiration. The characteristic clock hands and markings of the famous Swiss clock move as if by magic and merge into new shapes that make the main theme of “time travel” visually tangible.
The circular format of the LED screen becomes a portal to different eras. When the clock hands move backwards or rapidly forwards, time windows literally open up, giving visitors an insight into past and future railroad worlds.
Audio design for maximum immersion
Special attention was paid to the sound design. Authentic sounds such as steam whistles from historic locomotives, station announcements from different eras and the rhythmic ticking of the clock hands create an immersive soundscape. These natural sounds reinforce the feeling of time travel and turn the animation into a holistic sensory experience.
The ticking of the clock hands accompanies the entire animated story and becomes the acoustic thread that connects all eras.
From the Spanish Brötli Railway to the modern SBB
How have railroads, stations and train journeys shaped people and everyday life? This question is at the heart of the animation. The journey through time begins with the beginnings of the Swiss railroad: the legendary Spanisch Brötli Bahn passes through Baden station, people laugh in the historic train compartments. We see the construction of the Gotthard Railway and Italian guest workers traveling on the train.
Then time jumps to the present: the lights come on, the trains leave. People brush their teeth, play the drums, dance with their children and jump to the station with houseplants. People dance in the station concourse in Zurich, families board trains together, a woman carries her bike down the stairs. Couples drink coffee in the dining car, children peer curiously from behind train seats and a girl cuddles her cuddly dinosaur. Even field hockey players get off the train – the train has become a part of everyday life.
Not only technical developments are depicted, but above all emotional moments: The railroad as a place of encounter, departure and community. From the first steam locomotives to modern SBB trains, the animation shows how the railroad became a cultural phenomenon.
A look into the future
But the journey does not end in the present. Because rail transport is also shaping the future of mobility in Switzerland. Visions such as climate-neutral drives, automated journeys and completely new travel experiences open up exciting prospects.
Our animation takes a brief look ahead – to a world in which trains will be even more connected, sustainable and a natural part of our everyday lives. This makes the station clock not only a time machine into the past, but also a window into the future.
Seamless integration and endless loop
Seamless integration posed a particular technical challenge. The animation either runs in an endless loop or is combined with a real-time clock display at the end. In both cases, it was crucial that the transition between the end and beginning scene was smooth – visitors should not notice any interruption.
Factsheet on the project
- Client: Museum of Transport Lucerne
- Details: Realization of a 180-second animation for a 2m LED circular screen in the exhibition “Railway Experience Switzerland”
- Target group: Museum visitors of all ages
- Realization period: May 2025
- Exhibition opening: June 2025
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