Björn Voss on lasting audience growth in planetariums and leading a long-term change
1 hr 19 min
Martin travels to Hamburg to meet Björn Voss, director of Planetarium Hamburg, for a conversation about a problem many dome operators know well: how do you make institutional change stick? A key part of the episode looks at Voss’s 15 years at the planetarium in Münster, where he worked inside a natural history museum before moving to Hamburg. He describes long-term audience growth as the result of changing the visitor experience itself: stronger programming, better live presentation, clearer audience focus, and patient team development. His point is practical and highly relevant for directors and operators: a renovation may create a short surge, but lasting growth is more likely when the public feels the format has genuinely changed. Voss talks through what that looked like in practice. He explains how he worked with a small team, gradually moved presenters away from passive, recorded formats, and built a more welcoming style for broad audiences rather than only for highly motivated astronomy enthusiasts. He also speaks openly about a common tension in planetariums: staff may want to present specialised science, while much of the audience mainly wants a strong shared experience under the dome. The conversation also covers the difference between running a planetarium inside a larger museum structure and leading a standalone institution. Voss reflects on programming freedom, staffing, marketing, repeat audiences, and the limits of refurbishment as a strategy on its own. He also sets out a wider view of the planetarium’s role: helping audiences understand how science works, why it matters, and why live presentation still has a special place in that mission.
