Metropolis Magazine’s Post

As visitor expectations continue to evolve, so too must museum spaces. Gone are the days when museums were simply places to view artifacts behind glass. Today’s audiences seek interactive, personalized experiences that resonate on a deeper level. Adapting to these changing demands is essential for museums to remain relevant and engaging. This evolution involves rethinking traditional layouts and incorporating flexible spaces that can accommodate a variety of experiences, from hands-on activities to multimedia presentations. Creating adaptive museum spaces requires a balance between preserving the integrity of the collection and introducing new, engaging elements. It’s about understanding that visitors are not just passive observers but active participants in their learning journey. Whether it’s through modular exhibit designs that can be easily updated or creating communal areas that encourage social interaction, the goal is to create environments that are both inviting and intellectually stimulating. By staying attuned to the needs and desires of modern audiences, Riggs Ward Design helps museums transform their spaces into dynamic environments that inspire curiosity and foster lifelong learning. 📷 MUSE Winston-Salem #exhibitdesign #exhibitiondesign #exhibitdesigners #exhibitiondesigners #evolvingmuseums #museums #museumculture #museumprofessionals #communitydesign 

How can museums shift from traditional power structures, to truly empowering historically excluded communities? The Clyfford Still Museum is bringing a careful and collaborative approach to this work through a powerful partnership with the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. By reconnecting with descendants of individuals depicted in Clyfford Still’s portraits, the museum is fostering genuine, long-term collaboration that prioritizes the voices and perspectives of the Tribal community. Their initiative also goes beyond the present collaboration—it's about rethinking the role of museums in building shared, reciprocal futures. 🔗 Explore how this partnership is creating new pathways for cultural engagement: https://lnkd.in/gUysX6t2

For the 2024 D&AD Annual, ArtReview’s Director of Digital Louise Benson explores the numerous campaigns and creative work for museums and cultural institutions in the 2024 D&AD Awards. She unpacks how branding plays a key role in museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum are fulfilling their goals of connecting contemporary and local audiences with their collections. Museums can be intimidating spaces, says Benson. Steeped in the violence of colonial history, weighed down by imposing architecture, and shrouded in often-obscure systems of knowledge, they are political and represent a significant source of soft power for a nation. But some institutions are looking to shake up that perspective. Among others, Benson takes a look at Lafayette American’s rebrand for Toledo Museum of Art, which is a playful exploration of the ongoing reinterpretation spanning from ancient to modern within the institution’s walls. Co-Founder Toby Barlow, explains, “We’re inviting people to interact and engage in a stronger way, taking these elements out of the archive and saying, ‘See what you can do with this. See how it reflects the way you can approach and play with art and the way you can move it around inside your own mind.’” Read the full feature here: https://lnkd.in/ecg8WzZ9 #dandad24 #museumvisit #brandrefresh #branding #brandinginspiration #brandingproject

Museums can be overwhelming... or places of calming reflection As designers, educators, and museum mavens... we get to be the guides. Ever thought four black rectangles could rewrite museum storytelling? At the Saint Louis Art Museum, I witnessed design that breathes possibility. These simple geometric forms aren't just art—they're an invitation. By creating visual breathing room, we give visitors permission to explore, reflect, and connect on their own terms. Museums aren't about telling people what to think. (... and often times we overthink the design and it leads to this!) They're about creating spaces where thinking happens organically. A challenge for you, museum professionals: Look at your galleries. Where can you design intentional pauses that spark personal discovery? Share your insights below! 👇 #MuseumDesign #VisitorExperience #Breathingspaces #DesignLess #InspiredImpact

Middlebury College: Reimagining Arts and Education with a State-of-the-Art Museum 🎭✨ Middlebury College is embarking on an extraordinary project - a new museum designed by acclaimed architects Allied Works. Here’s how this transformative space will reshape arts and education: Key Features: 🌟 Arts Agora: The museum will establish a centralised hub for creativity, collaboration, and public discourse, integrating outdoor spaces for music, performances, and exhibitions. 🖼️ Expanded Accessibility: Doubling exhibition and teaching spaces, the museum will provide students and faculty with unparalleled opportunities to explore Middlebury’s 7,000+ artwork collection. 🌍 Sustainability at its Core: The museum will meet the highest environmental standards, incorporating sustainable materials and energy-efficient practices. 🏛️ Designed by Allied Works: With an impressive portfolio of cultural landmarks, Allied Works brings its expertise to Middlebury, ensuring the museum becomes a signature destination for arts and innovation. Timeline & Funding: Fundraising Progress: £28M of the £40M goal already secured. Construction Start: 2027. Grand Opening: 2028. This project exemplifies Middlebury’s commitment to integrating arts into academic life, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and global connections. https://lnkd.in/dP-ACMJA #MiddleburyCollege #ArtAndEducation #SustainableDesign #AlliedWorks #Museum

My friend Andi Cuddington introduced me to the idea of your Museum of Almost a few weeks ago. The Museum of Almost is the space in your mind where all of those projects that you almost launched or ideas you almost sketched out or books you almost wrote or trips you almost took are on display. Your museum might be a prominent spot, where the exhibits are well-tended and have lots of detail. Or it might be a more out of the way space, where dust gathers and the lights are flickering. I like this metaphor because it acknowledges the work that is involved with hanging on to almost finished projects. Sometimes it takes a while for the moment to be right or for an idea to develop. But what amount of time and energy is lost on these museums to inertia, to not just getting on with things? Talking through the Museum of Almost with Andi and some other Design Thinking Zeal colleagues did get me moving on a few illustration projects that have been kicking around my museum for a while. With the nudge of our conversation, I drew a few of them and felt true satisfaction and openness. Creating a bit more space in my Museum of Almost is freeing up energy to get some of those bigger projects moving. My museum has a few projects that I'm working away on, that will likely leave the exhibition space in the next year. There are others that are receding into the shadows. And there are a few in-between that I am truly unsure about. Here's to curating the Museum of Almost with care and attention. And to the projects that are ready to get booted out. #DesignThinking #Illustration #Research #PhDCareers #Facilitation

Last week I was at the International Museum Construction Congress (#imcc2024) in Edinburgh. While the setting was stunning it was the content that was particularly inspiring. One theme that kept coming up and particularly resonated with me was the importance of taking time to interrogate the purpose or mission driving your project, and more specifically, your purpose in terms of how you hope to serve and support your community. I particularly appreciated the candid insight we were given into how this informed the Natural History Museum's recent redevelopment of their gardens. It was fascinating and affirming to see how pausing to think about how the gardens should support the museum's wider mission and serve its community completely changed NHM's vision for the space, and led to them creating a much more inspiring and generous space. Taking the time to think about your purpose is something we always encourage our clients to do, and I believe it's an essential part of the process of creating a truly (in the widest sense of the word) sustainable visitor experience. Several of the case studies shared at the conference reiterated the point that whatever your project (a new exhibition or programme, a renovation of your physical assets, a complete redevelopment of your museum) defining the 'why' in terms of an overarching purpose or mission that relates to community and visitors helps focus thinking and streamline decisions about the 'what' and 'how' and ensures you produce something with real community impact. Getting buy-in to that overarching purpose from your wider team and stakeholders at the outset also helps ensure everyone is on board with and understands the decisions made as the project progresses. It can also help with the inevitable changes in project team personnel on those longer projects. While it may feel like unnecessary intellectualising when timescales are tight, in the long term it will help your project run more smoothly and ensure the end result is truly transformative. #museums #design #strategy #direction #vision #nhm

Construction of the new Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art on campus is beginning to take shape, with a majority of cement having been poured for the project. Exterior and interior walls are beginning to go up, and curbing for the road connecting Smith Drive to the David R. Goode Arts Complex is nearing completion, with asphalt work expected to begin soon. The building is expected to be ready for occupancy by January 2026. Funded by philanthropists Jane Batten, Joan Brock, and Susan and David Goode, this historic partnership between VWU and Virginia MOCA will allow the museum to create a hub for creativity, innovation, and immersive experience for its visitors, and its new central location will allow it to better connect with the region’s 1.6 million people. While Virginia MOCA will remain an independent museum, there will be ample opportunities for VWU students and the Susan S. Goode School of Arts and Humanities to collaborate in a variety of ways. Visit VWU’s Flickr album to view construction photos: https://lnkd.in/e8fBCJBf

Curious about museum design? Here are three key questions to explore: https://lnkd.in/efAyXMXb #museuminsights #exhibitiondesign #culturalheritage #museumdesign #visitorexperience

🏛️✨ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦𝐬: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 🎨🖼️ In the realm of ultra-high-net-worth collecting, private museums stand as a testament to cultural patronage and the creation of lasting legacies. These are not just spaces filled with art; they are dynamic institutions shaping cultural landscapes and preserving heritage for future generations. From the architectural marvels housing vast collections to the high standards of curatorial expertise and sustainable practices, private museums like Azure Contemporary and the Santiago Museum of Contemporary Art are redefining what it means to be a steward of culture in the 21st century. 🌍🔍 But what makes these private collections more than just vanity projects? It’s their commitment to public engagement, educational missions, and the integration of cutting-edge technology that allows global access like never before. Imagine exploring priceless artworks through immersive 3D environments from your home! 🖥️🌐 Discover more about how these private entities are not only preserving art but also pioneering new standards in museum management and cultural impact. 🚀👁️🗨️ 👉 Swipe up to delve deeper into the exclusive world of private museums and see how they are crafting cultural legacies that promise to outlast their founders. CLICK LINK HERE TO LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/dJ5z2pqk #PrivateMuseums #culturalpatronage #artcollecting #legacybuilding #museumarchitecture #sustainableart #curatorialexcellence #artpreservation #digitalmuseums #culturalimpact #museuminnovation #globalart #culturalheritage #contemporaryart #arteducation #philanthropyinart #artandtechnology #culturaldialogue #artconservation #PrivateCollections #culturallegacy #artworld #museumstandards #culturalstewardship #privateandpublicart