The New Kremlin Museum at the Red Square by Fabrizio Furiassi

THE NEW MOSCOW KREMLIN MUSEUM AT THE RED SQUARE MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 2016 CONCEPT OVERVIEW & EXHIBITION DESIGN Project lead: Fabrizio Furiassi Research team: Lera Chewbara, Julia Khomutskaja

CONSULTANCY Nowadays Office and Project Meganom Moscow Kremlin Museum Completed

Preface

The (New) Moscow Kremlin Museum, Red Square, Moscow, Russia Concept Overview & Exhibition Design

Introduction The purpose of this document is to investigate the line between known and unknown in search of emerging patterns in the field of exhibition design, and discover their potential combining data, intuition and imagination in something new. The outcome is an integrated design proposal that is fact-based rationale and critique in the approach. Objectives The Kremlin Museum is arguably one of the most complex cultural institutions worldwide. Its collection comprises over 130.000 pieces ranging from textiles to coins, gold and silverware, weapons, Fabergé eggs and carriages. Only 2,5% of the items are currently on display. The extension of the museum with a new building on the Red Square will offer both the opportunities to enlarge the permanent exhibition showing up to 4,5% of the collection, and to introduce a contemporary lens by which the richness of the items can find new relevance and accessibility for a broad and diverse audience. In this process of expansion Nowadays Office and Project Meganom are working collaboratively with the Kremlin Museum to define a new paradigm of modernization, preserving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and asserting value to authenticity as well as experimentation into the contemporary cultural zeitgeist. Economic context Russia is facing a huge economic crisis. Contrary to the common global practice of cutting funding to tthe cultural sector, the Russian government increased investiments on cultural projects during the last years. 1

While GDP of the country decreases, the curve of investments in culture is growing up. Especially in a period of economic recession, promotion of culture and preservation of heritage could drive economic growth by fostering innovation and social cohesion, as well as enhancing the city image while catalyzing investments and attracting tourists. In this terms, the construction of the New Kremlin Museum, with its unique location on the Red Square, has a potential impact not only in redefining the role of museums into the cultural dimension of the city of Moscow, but also in its economic dynamics.

shops (trade rows). 1889—1893 Construction of the building (archi tect R. Klein). 1917 The building was nationalized and hosted the Revolutionary Military Council. 2004 The building is recognized as cultural heritage of state significance. 2005 The Ministry of Defence leaves the building 2009 The building becomes the property of the Federal Protective Service. 2012 The building is given to Moscow Kremlin Museum Complex in order to increase the exhibition space.

Research The following graphs include data extracted through the navigation of project documentations, websites, pictures and literature about fifty of the largest and most visited museums at the global scale. The investigation aims to define case studies among the museums that are the most similar to the Kremlin Museum, in order to use them as references for the design proposal.

Preservation The importance of preservation is increasing as the areas declared immutable under various regimes of preservation are exponentially growing. Inextricably linked to all the most important historical and political events in Russia, the Red Square is a Cultural Heritage Site of federal importance, and is on the World Heritage List of UNESCO.

GDP (nominal) Cultural investments

After a century of use from the Ministry of Defence, the Building n.5, originary a trading market on the Red Square, is given back to the public in order to host the extension of the Kremlin Museum. Nowadays Office and Project Meganom are working to negotiate the coexistence of historical heritage and current aspirations. Surprisingly, the “extra dimension” of the historical architecture translates in a kind of flexibility that even the flexible architecture in contemporary sense very rarely has: the building has already changed its function many times: XV — XVI century The territory becomes a trade quarter with aligned

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Year

Ch ro no lo gi ca Ci lp rc at ui h tp at h Pu nc tu al sh ow W ca al ls se s ho w ac as G en es er ic ill um Sp in ec at io ifi n ci llu m O in nl at in io eD n B

eo gr a

No (or lack of information)

Cu ltu ra

ph yc a

Yes

lu ste

Ty rs po lo gy ca lc Te lu ch ste ni rs qu ec lu M ste at rs er ia ls cl us G te eo rs gr ap hy ca Cu ls ub lu ra -s ls ec ub tio -s ns Ty ec po tio lo ns gi ca ls Te ub ch -s ni ec qu tti es on s ub Ch -s ro ec no tio lo ns gi c a In ls tro ub du -s ct ec or tio y ns Tr en an tra sit nc io e n ar ea Ro s om s

Global overview

The fifty largest and most visited museums Exhibition parameters

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO BRITISH MUSEUM CENTRE POMPIDOU CINQUANTENAIRE MUSEUM DITHCLING MUSEUM OF ART EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF CAIRO EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF TURIN GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM OF BILBAO HOUSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ISHIKAWA MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS ISREAL MUSEUM ISTAMBUL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS KREMLIN MUSEUM KUNSTGEWERBEMUSEUM LACMA LOUVRE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART MOMA MoMA SAN FRANCISCO MUSÉE D'ORSAY MUSÉE D'ART ET D'HISTOIRE DU JUDAISME MUSÉE DU QUEI BRANLY MUSEO DI CAPODIMONTE MUSEO NACIONAL REINA SOFIA MUSEO NATIONAL DEL PRADO MUSEU DE ARTES E OFICIOS MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF HAMBURG MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF ZAGREB MUSEUM OF FINE ART OF BOSTON NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM OF INDIA NATIONAL GALLERY NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OF WASHINGTON NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART OF NEW DEHLI NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA NEUES MUSEUM NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM OTSUKA MUSEUM OF ART PERGAMONMUSEUM PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART PUSHKIN MUSEUM SHANGHAI ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM TATE BRITAIN TATE MODERN HERMITAGE TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM VATICAN MUSEUM VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

ITEMS’ PARAMETERS

SPACE PARAMETERS

Global overview

The fifty largest and most visited museums Exhibitions clusters

The fifty largest and most visited museums Scale of the museums and items METROPOLITAN ART MUSEUM

LACMA TATE MODERN SF MoMA OTSUKA MUSEUM OF ART

ISHIKAWA MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN TURIN DITCHLING MUSEUM OF ARTS + CRAFTS

NEW DEHLI NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF HAMBURG

TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

MUSEO NACIONAL DE ARTE REINA SOFIA

MUSÉE D'ART ET D'HISTOIRE DU JUDAISME

TATE BRITAIN

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO

MUSEO NATIONAL DEL PRADO

MoMA

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO CENTRE POMPIDOU MUSÉE D'ORSAY

PERGAMONMUSEUM

MET

ISTAMBUL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY

HERMITAGE MUSEUM

MUSEU DE ARTES E OFICIOS

CINQUANTENAIRE MUSEUM

(NEW) KREMLIN MUSEUM

MUSEO DI CAPODIMONTE

NEUES MUSEUM BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ART

HERMITAGE

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OF WASHINGTON

LOUVRE, EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF TURIN MOMA

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

(NEW) KREMLIN MUSEUM EACH BLOCK (A-B) MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY, VATICAN, CHINA NATIONAL MUSEUM TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

KREMLIN MUSEUM ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO ISREAL MUSEUM VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

OTSUKA MUSEUM OF ART NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OF WASHINGTON ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO, BRITISH MUSEUM

VATICAN MUSEUM

PUSHKIN MUSEUM

CINQUANTENAIRE MUSEUM, CENTRE POMPIDOU BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ISREAL MUSEUM

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI

LOUVRE

MUSÉE D’ORSAY, CENTRO DE ARTE REINA SOFIA SF MOMA, HOUSTON MFA, MUSEUM OF CAIRO, PRADO MUSEUM NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM NEUES MUSEUM, TATE MODERN

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF ZAGREB NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM OF INDIA

NATIONAL GALLERY, LACMA, TATE BRITAIN PUSHKIN MUSEUM, GUGGENHEIM OF BILBAO

KREMLIN MUSEUM

GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI

Ty (NEW) KREMLIN MUSEUM EXHIBITION SPACE

ZAGREB MUSEUM, ISHIKAWA MUSEUM

SHANGHAI MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS

Yes No (or lack of information)

Small

Medium

Large

Typology Geography Technique Culture Material

SHANGHAI ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM NATIONAL GALLERY BRITISH MUSEUM

180.000 sqm

80.000 sqm

66.000 sqm

58.000 sqm 60.000 sqm

50.000 sqm

36.500 sqm 38.000 sqm 40.000 sqm

25.500 sqm 27.000 sqm 29.000 sqm

13.000 sqm 14.000 sqm 15.500 sqm 17.000 sqm 18.500 sqm 20.000 sqm

10.000 sqm

8.000 sqm

6.000 sqm

2.000 sqm

1.500 sqm

KUNSTGEWERBEMUSEUM

Extra-large

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO BRITISH MUSEUM CENTRE POMPIDOU

NEW DEHLI NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART

DITHCLING MUSEUM OF ART

BOSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ART

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF CAIRO

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM OF TURIN

OTSUKA MUSEUM OF ART

GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM OF BILBAO

DITCHLING MUSEUM OF ARTS + CRAFTS

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF ZAGREB

ISHIKAWA MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS ISREAL MUSEUM

MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF HAMBURG

ISTAMBUL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUMS

NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM OF INDIA

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN TURIN

KREMLIN MUSEUM

GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM BILBAO

HERMITAGE MUSEUM

LACMA

ISTAMBUL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

SHANGHAI ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM

LOUVRE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

ISHIKAWA MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS

MoMA

MUSEU DE ARTES E OFICIOS

MoMA SAN FRANCISCO

MUSÉE D'ORSAY MUSÉE D'ART ET D'HISTOIRE DU JUDAISME MUSÉE DU QUEI BRANLY

NEUES MUSEUM

MUSÉE D'ART ET D'HISTOIRE DU JUDAISME

MET MoMA

BRITISH MUSEUM

MUSEO NACIONAL REINA SOFIA

MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF HAMBURG

MUSEO NACIONAL DE ARTE REINA SOFIA

MUSEUM OF FINE ART OF BOSTON

TATE BRITAIN

NATIONAL CRAFTS MUSEUM OF INDIA

CENTRE POMPIDOU ISREAL MUSEUM NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OF WASHINGTON

GALLERIA DEGLI UFFIZI

TATE MODERN

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

MUSEUM OF ARTS AND CRAFTS OF ZAGREB

EGYPTIAN MUSEUM IN CAIRO

PERGAMONMUSEUM

MUSÉE D'ORSAY

MUSEU DE ARTES E OFICIOS

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

KUNSTGEWERBEMUSEUM

NATIONAL GALLERY

MUSEO NATIONAL DEL PRADO

MUSÉE DU QUAI BRANLY PUSHKIN MUSEUM

LOUVRE VATICAN MUSEUM

MUSEO DI CAPODIMONTE

(NEW) kREMLIN MUSEUM

LACMA SF MoMA

TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM

NATIONAL GALLERY

MUSEO NATIONAL DEL PRADO

NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OF WASHINGTON

ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO

NATIONAL GALLERY OF MODERN ART OF NEW DEHLI NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA

MUSEO DI CAPODIMONTE

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF KOREA

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF CHINA

NEUES MUSEUM

CINQUANTENAIRE MUSEUM

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

PERGAMONMUSEUM

KREMLIN MUSEUM

PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART PUSHKIN MUSEUM SHANGHAI ARTS AND CRAFTS MUSEUM TATE BRITAIN TATE MODERN HERMITAGE TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM VATICAN MUSEUM VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM

Ro Ga

Rooms Galleries

1.Case study

1.Room with a single showcase

The Neues Musuem, Berlin, Germany Analysis

2.Gallery with punctual showcases and pedesals

Objectives 3.5 m

The following architectural analysis is based on an investigation of media available online. All the schemes have been extrapolated through measurements and an accurate navigation of plans and pictures. That result is to be considered approximated, but able to provide references and insights within the context of the selected case studies.

1.9 m 3.5 m

1.7 m 4.5 m

Neues Museum

4.8 m 2.5 m

24.9 m

1.7 m 3.9 m

The Neues Museum is a museum in Berlin, Germany, within the Museum Island. It was built between 1843 and 1855 according to plans by Friedrich August Stüler, a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel. The museum was closed at the beginning of World War II in 1939, and was heavily damaged during the bombing of Berlin. The rebuilding was overseen by the English architect David Chipperfield. The museum officially reopened in October 2009 and received a 2010 RIBA European Award and the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

4.2 m

4.7 m

1.9 m 3.9 m

NEFERTITI’S BUST ROOM Features: Preservation of authenticity of the room Focus on a specific item 360° view of the item Showcase height based on the room Showcase size based on the item +30 people in the room

GREEK STATUES ROOM Features: Preservation of authenticity of the room Front and back view on the showcases 360° view of the items on pedestals Showcase size based on items and room +30 people in the room

Plan, 2nd floor 4.Room with punctual showcases

3.Room with wall showcases

106 m

1.2 m

40 m

39 m

2.5 m

3 1.2 m 0.7 m

1.5 m

1.2 m

100 m

14.5 m

3.4 m 2.1 m 3.4 m

1. Room with a single item showcase 2. Gallery with punctual showcases 3. Room with wall showcases 4. Room with punctual showcases 5. Transition area (empty) 7

EXHIBITION STRATEGY Geographycal clusters Cultural clusters Typological clusters Transition areas Rooms

Open space Chronological path Punctual showcases Wall showcases Generic Illumination Online Database

SIZE OF THE ITEMS Small Medium Large

FRAGMENTS ROOM Features: Wall showcases Frontal view Showcase size based on items and room Up to 12 people in the room

HEAD SCULPTURES ROOM Features: Insertion of new elements (columns and walls) 360° view of the items Showcase size based on the room Minimum distance bewteen showcases 1,5 m +30 people in the room

2.Case study

The Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan Analysis

1.Showcases with sets of items

TNM The Tokyo National Museum, or TNM, established in 1872, is the oldest Japanese national museum, the largest art museum in Japan and one of the largest art museums in the world. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure holdings and 610 Important Cultural Property holdings. The museum also conducts research and organizes educational events related to its collection.

1.1 m

0.7 m 0.5 m

2.Showcases with single items

0.3 m

1.5 m

0.5 m

0.3 m

3.Wall showcases

0.2 m

2.5 m

Three typologies of showcases 1. Showcases with sets of items 2. Showcases with single items 3. Wall showcases

0.3 m 1.5 m

1.5 m

The (New) Kremlin Museum Exhibition Design General plan of the exhibition

2nd Floor

Surface: 6.500 smq (BLOCK A) + 5.400 smq (BL0CK B) 205,8 m

BLOCK A

Room 1

BLOCK B

89,7 m

113,4 m

45,8 m

120,3

Red Square

The (New) Kremlin Museum Exhibition Design Concept - Principles

I. Atomization Fragmentation of the collection in small parts (or “atoms”) offers the possibility of circulation paths every time different because based on the visitors’ desires. An atom is represented by a single item or a set of items up to approximately 10 pieces.

IV.Showcases Current disposition of the items

“Atomized” items

“Atom”

The showcases are divided in three different dimension according to the dimensions of the items

XS/S

60 cm

70 cm

SIZE OF THE ITEMS Extra-small Small Medium Large

SIZE OF THE ITEMS XS from 0 to 10 cm S from 11 to 50 cm M from 51 cm to 150 cm L from 151 cm

60 cm

170 cm

80 cm

200 cm

II.Hierarchy

V.Circulation

The collection comprises over 130.000 pieces ranging from textiles to coins, gold and silverware, weapons, Fabergé eggs and carriages. Since only 4,5% of the collection will be put on display, it is fundamental to set a hierarchy between the items according to parameters such as age, size, material, typology, color , etc. The most relevant pieces will be showcased in the center of each room, defining themes and aesthetics of the different rooms.

Based on the case studies and the references, the minimum distance between the showcases in order to allow a comfortable circulation is set to 1.5 m. The showcases are divided into two categories: the ones with a 360° view (the punctual showcases), and the ones with a frontal view (the walls)

Items in the room

High

Medium

Low

1.5 m

Frontal view

360˚ view

III.Density

VI.Customization

The density of the items in the rooms is defined by the need of leaving an empty space that allows a functional and free circulation of visitors. In this terms the density augments towards the perimeter of the room, creating empty spaces like “squares” in their centtres.

The more the exhibition is”atomized” the more the exhibition is customizable. If the exhibition is atomized and customazable, fragmentation of the collecion allows the navigation of the space as a mind map, jumping freely from an item to the other in an unpredictable way. This strategy enables multiple reading paths, making the exhibition more appealing and digestible for a broader audience.

1.5 m

Items in the room

Low

Medium

High

Customazability

Atomization of items 0

The (New) Kremlin Museum The arts and crafts collection Excerpt from the Arms and Armours section

Item datasheet (sample)

Helmet “Jericho Cap”

Blade

SECTION SUBSECTION CRAFTSMAN AGE TIPOLOGY SIZE MATERIAL RELEVANCE

REF. N. I.2.1 17

Arms and armours Tsars’ weapons and armours Nikita Davydov XVII Century Helmet Small Gold, damask steel, silk fabric, precious stones, pearls High

SECTION SUBSECTION CRAFTSMAN AGE TIPOLOGY SIZE MATERIAL RELEVANCE

Arms and armours Gun relics Ilya Prosvit XVII Century Blade Small Silver, damask steel, wood, velvet Medium

REF. N. I.1.4 18

The (New) Kremlin Museum

item main item

XVI Century

Exhibition Design Prximity Scheme - Room 1

atom visitor permanent temporary

Maille I.2.2 Size M

Blade I.2.9 Size S Blade I.2.10 Size S

Tsarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weapons and armours

Blade I.1.4 Size S

I. The atoms The atoms are the basic elements of the exhibition. According to the hierarchy, relevent items are permanent while the others are subject to a regime of rotation. fast-track

Gun relics

Manchurian Helmet I.5.1 Size S

Maille I.2.3 Size M

Maille I.1.3 Size M

Helmet I.1.1 Size S

Knife I.1.6-7 Size M

Helmet I.3.3 Size S Helmet I.3.4 Size S

Helmets Helmet Shishik I.1.2 Size S

Guide

II. The fast-track The speed of the visitor is variable according to their available time and their interest in the exhibition. The fast-track allows people to walk through the space touching the hotspots with the most relevant items on display (selected by the curators), and in so doing defining a shortcut for a quick overview of the entire content of the exhibition.

fast-track

III. The square The square is preserved empty space inside the rooms of the museum. It is not defined by a specific shape, but it could have different form and size according to the items and the design of the room. The square allows groups with a guide to visit the exhibition with comfort.

Truncheon I.2.7 Size m

Group

Truncheon I.3.45-47 Size m Truncheons

Truncheon I.3.14 Size m 19

square (sample)

square (potential variant)

Hammer I.3.16-17 Size m Truncheon I.3.15 Size m

Visitor

Hammer I.3.18 Size m

Government employees

Ax I.2.8 Size m

Ax I.3.19 Size m

Helmet Jericho Cap I.2.1 Size S

Helmets

Helmet I.5.8 Size S

IV. The multiple reading path In response to the need of re-locating part of the collection to the new building on the Red Square, many items currently on display could potentially be included in different clusters. In this terms, there is not one correct way to put them together on show. The re-organization of the archive opens the possibility to introduce multiple reading paths, within and beyond the traditional thematic clusters.

XVII Century

The (New) Kremlin Museum Exhibition Design Schematic Design - Room 1

Hierarchy and density

Sizes and distribution HIGH RELEVANCE

Helmet Jericho Cap I.2.1

Main items/atoms (permanent) Standard items/atoms (rotation)

Knife Helmet Shishik I.1.6-7 I.1.2

MEDIUM RELEVANCE

Ax I.2.8 I.3.19

Truncheon I.2.7

Helmet Helmet I.1.1 I.3.3-4 I.5.1

LOW RELEVANCE

Truncheon I.3.14-15 I.3.45-47

Blade I.1.4 I.2.9-10

Maille I.2.2-3 I.1.3

Hammer I.3.16-17 I.3.18

1. m

SHOWCASE Medium

1. m

SHOWCASE Large

HIGH DENSITY

1. 5

MEDIUM DENSITY

SHOWCASE Small LOW DENSITY

The distribution of the showcases in each room respects a fixed minimum distance of 1,5 meters in order to guarantee a comfortable circulation for the visitors. According to the dimension of the items, the showcases used have three different sizes: small, medium and large.

The hierarchy is evaluated by the Kremlin Museum curators in order to put the attention of the visitor towards the most important items or atoms. Ideally, a set of selected items on a fast-track path would represent an overview of the entire exhibition in 100 pieces. The density of the items is minimum in the center of the room and increases towards its borders, defining a fast path and alternative slower paths. 22