Calling all James Bond fans: There's a permanent 007 museum opening on July 12 and it's cool, very cool. Appropriately named 007 Elements, the building is inside the summit of Gaislachkogl mountain in Sölden, Austria—10,007 feet above sea level. If you've seen Spectre, you'll recognize the location as the home of the Hoffler Klinik, where Bond first meets Dr. Madeleine Swann. The real life "Klinik" is actually a restaurant called ice Q—yes, that unbelievable mountain-top structure exists—and 007 Elements has been built right next door. Although the museum mainly focuses on Spectre, due to the location, other Bond films will also be featured.
The idea for the museum came about while Spectre was being filmed in 2015, but it took all of the following three years to bring it to fruition, says Neal Callow, the art director for the last four James Bond films (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre) and upcoming Bond 25, as well as the museum's Creative Director. There were content development meetings, and they needed to get financial backing—oh, and there's the minor detail that the museum is built into a mountain. Callow says that the team had to complete multiple environmental surveys to ensure no damage was being caused to the surrounding area, as well as find hardware to make the building permafrost—33.8 degrees Fahrenheit—and compatible with Gaislachkogl.
The "Briefing Room" at 007 Elements.
"It being Bond, of course, building something inside the top of a mountain feels very kind of correct, for the history of the legacy," says Callow. "And also, we always wanted to do a different type of experience than a traditional museum, where we wanted to teach people about how all of our films are made, and inspire people to get in the industry."
In line with that mission, each of the nine galleries in 007 Elements—floating cubes within the permafrost of the mountain—is dedicated to an aspect of filmmaking. There's a room for title sequences and music, characters, dialogue, and directing, and others for sets, locations, and storyscapes. And no spy museum would be complete without a space dedicated to gadgets, technology, and cars (whatever you do, don't press the eject button). All of the rooms are cinematically designed, shrouded in dark lighting and outfitted with mirrors, touch screens, and video installations—you might even see images of your favorite characters lurking in the shadows, according to Callow. In fact, two undisclosed members of the Bond universe will be introducing the installation when it opens (we're keeping our fingers crossed for Daniel Craig).
The "Tech Lab" at 007 Elements.
The special effects and stunts gallery also sounds like a hell of a lot of fun. Not only does it have miniature sets where you can see how those death-defying, nail-biting stunt sequences were put together—we're still wondering about that faked death on the train in Skyfall—but the original airplane from the Spectre chase sequence in Austria, when Bond is trying to rescue Swann, also makes an appearance. It's displayed as a hanging art installation, mid-explosion: Callow says pieces of wood are suspended to look like they're splintering off the plane.
Getting to 007 Elements requires something of a spy's coordination and MI6-level planning. The easiest way to reach Sölden is driving from nearby Innsbruck (you can also fly in from Munich, Salzburg, or Vienna), which takes about 45 minutes, according to Callow. From there, a shuttle service will take you to Sölden resort, where you can take a cable car up the mountain and get off right by the installation. Tickets to 007 Elements are €22 (~$26) for adults and €12 (~$14) for children, and grant you access for a certain time slot. The first three "cubes" are part of a programmed show, with lighting and video cues to keep you moving from one room to the next. Afterwards, 007 Elements is yours to explore—shaken martini not included.