MUSEUM:USER EXPERIENCE AN OBSERVATION OF THE MUSEUM EXPERIENCE AND THE ROLE ARCHITECTURE CAN PLAY IN THE EXPERIENCE THROUGH PROGRAMMATIC ORGANIZATION AND AESTETIC DESIGN. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA TIMBERLAKE
SARA TIMBERLAKE
FUNDED BY THE ROBERT ALLERTON AMERICAN TRAVEL SCHOLARSHIP
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HISTORY
MUSEUMS STARTED OFF AS “PERIOD ROOMS”, USUALLY SMALL, PRIVATELY-OWNED GALLERIES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY FOR THE ARISTOCRATIC CLASS TO DISPLAY THEIR WEALTH. THE PUBLIC DESIRED A MORE ACCESSIBLE CULTURAL EXPERIENCE, AND THUS PUBLIC MUSEUMS ACROSS THE NATION WERE CREATED.
THE THRUST FOR CREATION [OF MUSEUMS] WAS POWERED PARTLY BY 3 MAJOR CATEGORIES THAT WOULD PROPEL PARTS OF THE ART MUSEUM [...] CONTEXTUALIZING EVOCATION, RESERVING DOCUMENTARY PRESENTATION AND DISPLAY BY MEDIA, AND MATERIALS FOR SPECIFIC AND LIMITED PARTS OF ITS HOLDINGS. -NEIL HARRIS
IN THE EARLY MUSEUM YEARS, THE PUBLIC SAW THEM AS BIG VISUAL SPECTACLES, BUT THE COLLECTIONS WERE MORE MODEST THAN ITS ARCHITECTURE WOULD LEAD ON. AS MUSEUMS WERE BEING CONSIDERED IN THE MID-20TH CENTURY, MORE AND MORE CURATORS DESIRED TO CREATE EXHIBITS THAT WOULD LEAVE LASTING IMPACTS ON VISITORS AND THAT THEY WOULD FREQUENT THE MUSEUMS.
CONTEMPORARY
IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A DESIRE TO TAP INTO ACTIVATING THE USER’S SENSES AND INTELLECT WHILE EXPLORING MUSEUMS AND THEIR EXHIBITS. THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE HAS BEEN DOING RESEARCH FROM THIS ANGLE SINCE THE 1990’S, TRYING TO PREDICT HOW TO CREATE THE MOST INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT. THEY PROPOSE THE IPOP METHOD:
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KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTED IN INFORMATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND INTERPRETATIONS
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LIVES OF OTHERS REPRESENTED IN STORIES, BIOGRAPHIES, VIDEOS, PHOTOGRAPHS, AND AUDIO
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ARTIFACTS REPRESENTED IN THE PRESENTATION, AESTHETICS, AND DESCRIPTIONS OF OBJECTS
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PHYSICAL
PHYSICALITY IN MOVEMENT, TOUCH, SIGHTS, SOUNDS, AND SMELLS
THE MILL CITY MUSEUM LOCATION: MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA ARCHITECT: MEYER, SCHERER + ROCKCASTLE OPENED: 2003, FACTORY BUILT 1878
THE MILL CITY MUSEUM IS BUILT IN THE REMAINS OF MULTIPLE FIRES THAT HAVE ENGULFED THE ORIGINAL WASHBURN A MILL, BUILT IN 1878. THE ARCHITECTS OF THIS PROJECT PROPOSED TO KEEP THE NORTHERN SHELL UNTOUCHED, WHILE BUILDING AROUND THE BURNED PARTS OF THE MUSEUM, CREATING A NEW PRECEDENT IN HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND ADAPTIVE REUSE PROJECTS. MINNEAPOLIS WAS ONCE THE “FLOUR MILLING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD”, AND THIS MUSEUM TAKES THE USER THROUGH INFORMATIVE AND INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS.
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»HISTORY » OF FLOUR INDUSTRY »“FLOUR » TOWER” TALKS ABOUT RISE AND FALL OF MINNEAPOLIS AS A FLOUR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
AS THE FIRST PROJECT ON THE HISTORIC REGISTER TO INCORPORATE AN EXISTING RUIN, THE MILL CITY MUSEUM SETS A PRECEDENT WITH ITS SEAMLESS JUXTAPOSITION OF THE RUIN’S MYSTERY AND THE RAW ENERGY OF THE HISTORIC BUILDING WITH A REFINED, RESPECTFUL NEW STRUCTURE. -CAMILLE LEFEVRE
»STORIES » OF FACTORY WORKERS »DIFFERENT » TYPES OF FACTORY WORKERS EXPLAINED AND RECORDED
»LIFE-SIZE » AND LARGESCALE SAMPLES OF PRODUCTS PREPARED IN THESE FACTORIES »KITCHEN » WITH SAMPLES USING TYPES OF FLOUR AND COOKING METHODS THAT USED TO BE REPRODUCED IN OLD FACTORY
»STILL » RESERVED RUINS OF OLD BRICK MUSEUM »SMELLS » OF KITCHEN TRAILING THROUGH THE MUSEUM
MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH LOCATION: FORT WORTH, TEXAS ARCHITECT: TADAO ANDO OPENED: 2002, ESTABLISHED 1892
THE MODERN ART MUSEUM HAD AN INTERESTING TASK: HOW TO KEEP A MONUMENTALITY TO THE PROPOSED BUILDING WHILE HONORING AND NOT OVERPOWERING THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM, WHICH SITS RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE MODERN. TADAO APPROACHED THE BUILDING AS A SERIES OF SERENE SPACES WHERE THE USER CAN INTERACT WITH ART, NATURE, AND THEMSELVES. THE MUSEUM CAN BE CHARACTERIZED AS AN “ALUMINUM-AND-GLASS SHELL WRAPPING A DENSE CONCRETE CORE”. AS A RESULT OF THIS, A LOT OF GALLERY SPACES HAVE BEAUTIFUL ACCIDENTS, WHERE IT SEEMS AS IF THE GALLERY ROOM WAS DESIGNED TO FIT THAT PIECE OF WORK.
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»MODERN/CONTEMPORARY » ART INSTALLATIONS »“BUILDING » IN NATURE” CONCEPT
»SERENE » SPACES AND SENSE OF WANDERING THROUGH GALLERY SPACES »SIMILAR » EXPERIENCE TO A CHURCH OR CATHEDRAL
»COLLECTION » OF ARTWORK FROM POST WWII AMERICA »PIECE » OF WORK SPANNING ENTIRE WALL
»ANDO’S » TRADEMARK USE OF LIGHT AND DARK »PIECES » THAT HAVE CONNECTIVITY IN DIFFERENT VIEWS OF MUSEUM »WATER » FEATURES IN MUSEUM SET UP A CALM ATMOSPHERE
I THINK OF THIS MUSEUM AS THE HEART AND CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY... [IT IS] A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME TOGETHER, LIKE A CHURCH. -TADAO ANDO
EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT (EMP) LOCATION: SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ARCHITECT: FRANK GEHRY OPENED: 2000
ORIGINALLY OPENED AS A JIMI HENDRIX MUSEUM (FROM FOUNDER PAUL ALLEN’S LARGE PERSONAL COLLECTION), THE EMP HAS MADE A SHIFT IN THEIR BUILDING TO OPEN A SPACE THAT “CELEBRATES MUSICAL INNOVATION AND INSPIRES YOUNG AND OLD TO FEEL MOVED BY THE PANORAMA OF AMERICAN POPULAR MUSIC”. ALLEN’S VISION FOR THE MUSEUM WAS TO DESIGN A MUSEUM THAT APPEARED AS IF A GUITAR WAS SMASHED IN MULTIPLE PLACES, EXPLAINING THE SEGMENTED GALLERIES AND EXTERIOR. PAUL WANTED AN OVERALL “SWOOPY” EFFECT THROUGHOUT THE MUSEUM.
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»POP » CULTURE AND THE ROLE IT PLAYS IN AMERICAN SOCIETY
MY GOAL AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IS TO HAVE PEOPLE LEAVE WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW MUSIC AFFECTS THEM - HOW IT AFFECTS THEIR LIVES AND HISTORY AND HOW THEY FIT INTO THAT WORLD. MY GREAT HOPE IS THAT THEY WILL THEN GO OUT AND MOTIVATE OTHERS TO CONTRIBUTE AND INSPIRE. -JODY PATTON
»JIMI » HENDRIX PERMANENT EXHIBIT »ROTATING » EXHIBITS OF ALL ASPECTS OF POP CULTURE
»ROTATING » EXHIBITS »OLD » MEMORABILIA OF EVENTS IN POP CULTURE
»“SKY » CHURCH”, A 70-FT LED SCREEN PLAYING POPULAR MUSIC VIDEOS THROUGHOUT THE 20TH CENTURY TO PRESENT »HANDS-ON » MUSIC LAB »DIFFERENT » COLORED LIGHTS FOR DIFFERENT MOODS
LOS ANGELES MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST LOCATION: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ARCHITECT: BELZBERG ARCHITECTS OPENED: 2010; FOUNDED 1961
THIS MUSEUM NOT ONLY IMMERSES THE USER IN THE INJUSTICES OF THE HOLOCAUST, BUT TO HIGHLIGHT JEWISH LIFE OUTSIDE THE HOLOCAUST. THE MUSEUM IS ORGANIZED IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD CIRCUIT, WITH THE IDEA OF COMPRESSION GIVING WAY TO RELEASE. THE GALLERY SPACES OF JEWISH HISTORY HAVE HIGHER CEILINGS AND MORE NATURAL LIGHTING. AS YOU TRAVEL INTO GALLERY SPACED EXPLAINING DARKER POINTS OF JEWISH HISTORY, THE CEILINGS BECOME MUCH LOWER AND THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO NATURAL LIGHT. AS THE USER EMERGES FROM THE PLIGHT OF THE HOLOCAUST, THE CEILINGS RISE AGAIN AND NATURAL LIGHT FLOODS THE LAST GALLERY SPACES.
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»PUTTING » A FACE TO ALL PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THE HOLOCAUST AND HOW IT RELATED TO LOS ANGELES DURING THE TIME
»EMPHASIZES » HUMAN LIFE OF HOLOCAUST AS OPPOSED TO HEAVY EMPHASIS ON DICTATORS »HOLOCAUST » SURVIVORS INVOLVED IN GIVING TOURS AND TALKS AT MUSEUM
»STORIES » AND ARTIFACTS FROM JEWISH FAMILIES »LABOR/CONCENTRATION/ » DEATH ROOM OF MUSEUM WITH 18 TV SCREENS OUTLINING REALITIES OF CONCENTRATION CAMPS
»ENTRANCE » OF THE MUSEUM IMMERSION INTO THE GROUND »USE » OF LIGHT TO AFFECT MOOD AND ATTITUDE TO TOPIC DISCUSSED IN PART OF MUSEUM
“AS YOU LEAVE THE SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF THE WORLD ABOVE, YOU UNEARTH THE ATROCITIES THAT WERE IGNORED BY PEOPLE WHO LIVED CLOSE BY IN THOSE TIMES, JUST AS WE CHOOSE TO LOOK AWAY FROM INSTANCES OF GENOCIDE TODAY” -BELZBERG ARCHITECTS
MUSEUMS VISITED CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI KANSAS CITY UNION STATION - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI NELSON-ATKINS MUSEUM - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI ST. LOUIS ART MUSEUM - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI PULITZER FOUNDATION - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI LOS ANGELES MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA HAMMER MUSEUM - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA GETTY MUSEUM - LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA SEATTLE ART MUSEUM - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON EMP MUSEUM - SEATTLE, WASHINGTON MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH - FORT WORTH, TEXAS KIMBELL ART MUSEUM - FORT WORTH, TEXAS MILL CITY MUSEUM - MINNEAPOLIS, M MINNESOTA
SOURCES BRUCE, CHRIS. EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT: THE EXPERIENCE. SEATTLE: EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT, 2009. BOOK. DILLON, DAVID. “TADAO ANDO BRINGS HIS CONCRETE-AND-GLASS POETRY TO THE TEXAS PLAINS AT HIS NEW MODERN ART MUSEUM OF FORT WORTH.” ARCHITECTURE RECORD 191.3 (2003): 98-113. AVERY INDEX TO ARCHITECTURAL PERIODICALS. WEB. HARRIS, NEIL. “PERIOD ROOMS AND THE AMERICAN ART MUSEUM.” WINTERTHUR PORTFOLIO 46.2 (2012): 117-138. AVERY INDEX TO ARCHITECTURAL PERIODICALS. WEB. LOS ANGELES MUSEUM OF THE HOLOCAUST. BERKELEY: ORO EDITIONS, 2012. PRINT. PEKARIK, ANDREW J., JAMES B. SHREIBER, NADINE HANEMANN, KELLY RICHMOND, AND BARBARA MOGEL. “IPOP: A THEORY OF EXPERIENCE PREFERENCE.” CURATOR: THE MUSEUM JOURNAL 57.1 (2014): 5-27. WEB. RYAN COMPANIES, US. “MILL ITY MUSEUM, MINNEAPOLIS.” ARCHITECTURAL RECORD 192.2 (2004): 122-126. AVERY INDEX TO ARCHITECTURAL PERIODICALS. WEB.