The exhibitions nowadays are transformed from a simple display of artifacts to involving the physical space that contains the topic, the content arrangement and visitor engagement as important roles in communicating with audiences. When it comes to an exhibition that features an unconventional site, the design strategy relies more on the physical space to create an aesthetic environment that enables participants to experience. Journey to A Forgotten Place as an exhibition proposal is set to explore the storytelling of an unfamiliar place or an event in the past that is no longer accessible to the public yet will be made available through the application of expressive technologies1, emotive, immersive and experiential, in exhibition design. The submerged City Shicheng located in China is the main subject matter. The goals of this exhibition are to bring visitors on a journey to learn about this forgotten place, to be in awe of the beauty of the sunken city and to evoke their feelings and memories of the past life.

The physical features of the topic lead to the design challenges of creating the exhibition: how to tell the story overcoming the gap between the differences in time, space and culture? Through research, illustrated concepts and design considerations, this paper will deliver an exhibition design plan that addresses the challenges and presents a vivid story in an immersive submerged environment.