Salford Museum Art Gallery Interior Proposal Designer: David Jackson University of Salford Contact: d.jackson7@edu.salford.ac.uk Date Completed: 07.11.14 Software Used: AutoCAD & 3D Max
Brief: Due to decreasing revenue, I have been asked by the Museum to design and propose a new interior for this protected building. The main focus areas are the cafĂŠ, seating areas, the gift store and a new museum space. The aim is to create an environment where people of all ages and abilities can enjoy what the museum has to offer.
Research in Mancester: Before I started designing ideas for the museum and commmunal areas I explored many of the bars, restaurants, cafes, and other communal areas such as super stores and shopping centres to see what was currently in used. I found many clever designs I liked, especially for ligting and colour schemes. Below shows a variation of clever design and lighting techniques. I have made notes of many clever designs I have seen on my travels, which is what I will refer to as I brainstorm and begin initial sketching for my SMAG design.
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Current Floor Plan Design Initial Thoughts: Initial Impact The most obvious issue I found with this design is that everything feels disjointed. There is no flow or set theme based upon the colours used, the furniture, products and lighting features. As expected the reception area is at the front, which seems extremely large for its function. I feel that the front desk could be smaller to maximise the amount of space to sell products.
Stairs: As I walked through the entrance, the stairs are directly ahead. The design for these stairs are extremely functional for circulation, but from an aesthetic perspective I feel they could have been redesigned to set the theme. The landing is supported by cylinder pillars, which have wooden strips that act as the railings. I don’t understand why these materials and shapes were used in this design – they simply don’t collaborate.
Seating Arrangements & Café The seating area is well dispersed around the café counter. There are many chairs and tables for the customers to use, which obviously is positive aspect from a revenue point of view. The more tables and chairs the more money the café collects. I feel that the café area could be made more noticeable, especially the main counter section. Where is the menu as soon as you enter the building? We need to be told that there is a range of food available for the public! The tables are placed well in the centres of the room, as well as the addition of the more comfy chairs which border the café area of the building. The rear of the café area has a semi-circle room which I feel could be used for a better function. I feel placing the same chairs in this ‘privileged’ area is a waste, maybe something more extravagant could come of this location. The amount of people queuing to order food at the café area at one time is low, however, if more people at one time used the café, how could the circulation of this space work? I feel that the counter may be inadequate to facilitate additional covers.
Café & Seating Area
Stairs & Store
Colour Schemes & Themes The colour scheme is very simple and ‘clean.’ Lots of white is used which contributes to a more bright and airy atmosphere. The walls and ceiling are mostly white, which work well with the turquoise-green colour on the rear wall. A major issue I find with the current design is the theme, there doesn’t seem to be one. It is more functional than aesthetic, but why not have both?
The Shop The shops has a wide range of products available for the public to purchase. Product displays are placed either side of the walkway to the museum entrance and café area. The products are displayed on antic furniture which adds to the ‘old and used’ style. I think people need to be attracted the store to actually explore what’s available. The first thing I did when I first entered the store was give the shop area a quick glance and walk straight ahead to the café. People need to be forced to see the store, maybe a set path way which guides them through the store? It would also be benefit for people to see the products as they use the café? At the moment is products are in view, but they are slightly too far away to understand what they are etc. I could maximise the exposure time of the products by placing them closer to areas of high traffic.
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Entrance & Reception
Museum/ Gallery Space
Car Parking Circulation The current car parking arrangements are slightly awkward. I know, as a student walking to the museum from Maxwell building there is a lot of traffic which interrupts students as they are walking past or to the museum. There is a small footpath on the right but he only option is to cross the road to go to the museum. I feel that there should be an alternative route for cars entering and parking.
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Car Parking Circulation This is a possible option for an alternative route into and out of the museum. The surrounding university buildings would also benefit from this design, as it allows cars to flow through a one way system, instead of travelling back the way they came. The grass land around could also be used as a means of additional parking? This allow students to access the museum safely, while the cars have an independent route to take.
Updated Entrance & Parking
Additional Structure
The entrance to the museum has been completely changed. I decided to expand the footpath and introduce a new system which makes it easier to enter and exit.
Footpath
Circulation
Disabled Parking
Peel House
One of the major problems I found is that people driving by wouldn’t know there is a museum there. I feel by moving the museum sign further west would increase the amount of people noticing the museum. The current sign is fairly small an unnoticeable. I decided to introduce a 10m wide entrance sign which travels over the entrance road. It is angled to help people who are walking or driving by notice what the museum is and has to offer.
Museum
Car Circulation
Footpath Parking
Entrance Sign
Parking Area
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The exit is the same as the original design. Cars have an option of 3 pathways to exit from the site. By doing so, I feel the students and staff will feel a lot more comfortable walking through this part of the campus at peak times.
First Render of Possible New Structure: To increase the amount of space for customers, and to attract attention from the public, I have designed an extension to the museum which resembles a strong threshold between modern and traditional. The museum is a historical protected building which has been open to the public since 1850, but I feel that something new and modern is needed to increase revenue. To maximise the amount of original structure visible, I have designed a ‘green house’ style extension which acts as a large seating area as well as a new entrance.
Image showing 1st floor only
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Footpath
Initial Ideas: New Entrance & Seating Area Although this is an untidy page, I feel that firing ideas onto the paper really helps my designing stages. To minimise the amount of contact with the original traditional stone work, I was aiming to design modern fittings and structures which would act as supports for large sheets of glass, to enable passer-byes to see inside.
I was originally thinking of a simple square structure, very simplistic and modern, but I felt that this design wouldn’t make as much of an aesthetic impact. I liked the idea of having several ‘legs’ which attached to the pillars, would hold glass in place.
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Museum Entrance
Seating Area
Car Park
Simple view of Entrance Final Design: My original design for the extension was severally larger than the final design I have opted for. The images below show how oversized I had originally designed this part of the structure. I decided to redesign this section, and I have arrived at a smaller, more functional space which caters for wheelchairs also. From an aesthetic perspective, I feel that the new design shape is much more pleasing, and would also cost less due to less materials.
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Final Exterior Entrance
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Front View – Including stair path to Level 2
Left View – Including stair path to Level 2
Rear View – Including stair path to Level 2
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Updated Floor Plan: Ground Level Pathway Information Desk CafĂŠ seating Gift Store Stairway Kitchen Storage Room Kitchen and Serving Hatch Stool Seating Area/ Waiting Area Library Area Computer Suite Museum sculpture Space/ Hanging Art Mezzanine Floor Meeting Room Toilet Facilities & Lift Street Museum
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Entrance: The first thing the customer will see once they enter the building is be the museum entrance. I wanted to have this feature as it immediately tells the customer where the most important aspect of the building is. To the left of the entrance to the museum is the information stand. The original design of the reception I thought was slightly oversized for its purpose. Having the information desk next to the entrance to the museum makes complete sense. The customers knows where to go for the museum, and where to go to ask questions, as soon as he/she enters the building.
Car Park
Spatial Arrangement
Main features: Ground floor & Stair Way Only
Museum Entrance Stairway
Gift Store & Information Desk
Café Counter Seating Area
Seating Area
Waiting Area
Gift Store:
It Suite
Front view Seating Book & Magazine Zone
The gift store is also located in front of the customer as he/she enters the building. I decided to have a long desk which spans across the room, alongside the information desk. The waiting area (which can also be used as a seating area) also has a good view of the products available on sale. The gift store isn’t the major means of income for the museum, but it still has a role to play.
Café Area: The café area is in the middle of the building. I want this section to be the epee centre, so no matter where you are sitting, you are always going to see it. Explanations of this part are explained in detail in the next pages.
Entrance
Exterior Seating Area
Exterior Entrance
In front of the café counter, the entrance to the exterior seating area is positioned. I feel that this is the most suitable pathway for the customers to enter and exit. Once they have collected their food and drinks, they can choose exactly where they want to go simply – they are in the centre of all seating options. Due to the location of the museum being heavily populated by students, I figured why not have a IT area where laptops are provided for students to work. There is also a small library where students can relax. The majority of the income comes from students, so why not base the design around what their need are? They have a selection of seating arrangements, suitable for all weather conditions, food and drink, quiet areas and a pc suite. Perfect for the students!
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Museum Viewing Pathway
CafĂŠ Area Pathway
The previous page discussed what the customer would see. These two diagrams show the viewing stages as soon as they enter the store. The image below shows the customer’s viewing range as he/she enters the building with the intention of viewing the museum only.
The viewing windows are the same as if the customer was going to go to the museum only, until stage 3. Stage 4, is the order and collect and from the kitchen hatch. The customer will use trays provided. Stage 5, is the paying area. Stage 6, is where the customer has the opportunity to decide where to sit.
4 Stairway
3
Stairway
3 2
4
2
5 6
1
1 2 2
2
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Elevation of stairs: I decided to remove the original stairs, due to the fact I had changed the entrance. I wanted the stairs to be in instant view as soon as the visitor walked into the building. The original stairs worked well, but I feel that the materials used ruined the aesthetics. I need to find a way to have the stairs near the entrance, but also be near the gap for the second floor. By having a long corridor, and fitting the gift store, information desk, the entrance to the museum, entrance to the toilet and cafĂŠ area under this corridor, everything is organised and clearly laid out for the customer.
This is a 3D version of the plan above. For demonstrational purposes, I have removed the glass barrier from the landings and stair cases. The majority of the design of the building is focused on the students, but for meetings or group discussions, I have introduced a room which intrudes into the museum itself. This is a new feature to the building, which will attract more business meetings for example. Below shows the seating area in render format.
Meeting Room
4 wide Landing
CafĂŠ Counter Pathway to Toilet
Museum Entrance Information Desk Gift store
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Aesthetic of the Main Space: CafĂŠ, Seating Area, Gift Shop Theme? I want people to be stunned as they walk inside the building. The exterior displays a traditional ore, whereas the interior is the complete opposite. I wanted to design a modern space which resembles that of almost space ships, or ultra-modern homes in the future. The current pillars that are in the interior of the building are linear, whereas my design has a curved flow. During my design stages I imagined the outcome to be mostly white and grey themed, with unique shapes and curves. The sketches on this page show some of my design ideas, which are reflected well in my final piece.
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Once I had completed my sketches, I began experimenting with 3D MAX rendering software to create crisp images. I experimented with the colour systems and light interventions to create realistic images. The following slides may not be 100% accurate, but these are only test renders. I feel that I captured an ultra-modern theme very well.
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Semi-circle seating area & seating for 4 per table. I decided to have chairs that are like benches, as it easier for the cleaner to tidy afterwards, as well as for aesthetics. The bench can fir 2 people, which is the only negative asp3ct to this design – if you want to move you both have to move. I introduced a chrome handle to the table, to allow the user to hang their bags or jackets safely.
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The Museum: Simple and Straight Forward Due to the fact that my museum is based on a modern theme, I didn’t think it would make much sense to go from a modern interior and straight into the history of the museum and its surrounding environment. I decided to use this new gallery space for students to full. Selected piece of art work would be hung up or placed inside. I liked the idea of having sculptures in each podium and using natural light to illuminate them. The meeting room on the mezzanine floor level intrudes into the museum. I originally felt that sculptures and hanging pieces of art from the ceiling would provide the people in the meeting room with a nice view of art. I wanted the room to be light and airy, with little colours other than white and grey used. The main focus of the gallery is the artwork itself, not the room the art is displayed. I still wanted the room to continue the original theme of ultra-modern, so I decided to use the pillar idea used in the cafÊ area, and make the pillar go all the way around all sides of the room. I decided to keep the gallery path simple, and so it is parallel with the front entrance. The visitor will instantly see the path they must follow before they have even entered the building.
PATHWAY TO MUSEUM
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This is my final render of the cafĂŠ area, stairs to mezzanine and the second level. 22 | P a g e
Presenting this design concept to my peers, my teachers and the client was very different in comparison to presenting just too fellow students. I felt like a professional, and because I was happy with my work, I was very comfortable answering questions and directing the audience through my design ideas. This was one of my best oral presentations, I finally feel like I can present clearly and calmly without panicking. Out of 40 people who designed for this project, only 5 designs turned up to present. Baring in mind this presentation was optional, I was still shocked that only 5 people turned up – and of course, I presented first. Once I had finished I felt like I wanted to do another! Even though it was just a presentation, it felt amazing feeling!
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