Návštěvnické centrum české národní banky

Visitor Centre of the Czech National Bank

This interactive, educational exhibition will take you through the world of money and economies.

The new exhibition is called “Exploring the Currency” and, as the name implies, it provides information on the Czech currency and various determining and background circumstances. Our new Visitor Centre offers an opportunity to learn, in an intriguing and interactive form, about all the actions the Czech National Bank takes to keep our prices and public finances stable and to assure smooth monetary circulation. Facts given there explain who, why and how decides about the settings and tools of monetary policies, financial stability and financial market supervision.

In many ways, the Czech National Bank Visitor Centre measures up to its abroad counterparts. Its unique exhibitions prepared in close cooperation with the CNB offer many topic-tailored interactive, illustratory and educational constructs.

Its expositions extend over an area of 1200 sq.m. and are divided into several “pockets” focusing on particular topics. The central theme of the exhibition is a teller’s window, also called a “statue of statistics”. A section called “Hideaways at Home” challenges visitors to find places where people hide money at homes. In our laboratory, visitors may test their ability to tell a counterfeit banknote from a genuine one and a special exercise bike will show them how difficult it is to maintain the inflation rate at 2 %. The centre of the entire exhibition is lined with partitioning panels with plastic imprints of the core motto of the Czech National Bank: “Transparency, Expertise and Independence”.

TELLER’S WINDOW
Contemporary advanced technology represented by nine transparent OLED displays and truly enticing contents allowed for preparing a truly unique show for the visitors. The contents made for this wall of continuous monitors is both ambient and interactive. In the ambient mode, visitors can watch data and information flow within the Czech National Bank and an efficient, entertaining trailer by Jiří Strach as the director will captivate every visitor. Interactive contents allow everyone to approach the individual semi-transparent displays and start interacting with individual bankers. Windows each are dedicated to different periods, presenting a fully stylized banker of that particular time. The visitor then communicates with the banker through questions and answers.

INFLATION EXERCISE BIKE
Have you ever tried to influence the speed of the economy by pedalling an exercise bike? You can try that at the CNB. Visitors pedal the exercise bike, virtually riding across a countryside opening in front of them on a monitor. The task is to keep the target rate of inflation by pedalling the bike. Going up a hill means the economy is slowing down. Conversely, going down a hill means the economy is going faster. Moreover, while on the track, the visitor encounters various barriers that make his or her ride harder.

THE BANK BOARD
The Bank Board and its activities within the Czech National Bank is presented to visitors by means of projection mapping. A scene created in the middle of the space makes visitors feel like they have come to participate in a meeting of the Bank Board. The scenery is symbolically set as a round table with seven seats. The entire atmosphere is then intensified by images of the Bank Board in a meeting, projected on the table. The way the projection mapping is made makes the visitor feel just as if looking at the hands of the Bank Board members leafing through their paper files, taking notes and gesturing in a live discussion. During their projected meeting, their hands write, turn papers, reach for coffee, etc., the board discusses various topics and gives recommendations.

The exhibition contains more than 200 gaming interactive items, which make the subject of financial literacy comprehensible to all, whether big or small, visitors in a playful way.