segd - new directions in exhibition and environment design: … · 2014. 11. 12. · 3. artifacts....

Fourth Annual Symposium

New Directions in Exhibition and Environment Design: Affecting Thought and Changing Minds

Cranbrook Academy of ArtBloomfield Hills, Michigan

August 9-11, 2007

SocietyforEnvironmentalGraphicDesign Signs | Environments | Graphics | Design

Su m mary o f PreSentat io nS and act i v i t i eS

Introduction

The Message is the Medium

Inexhibitions,themessageiseverything.ThatwasthethemeofSEGD’sFourthAnnualSymposiumon

ExhibitionandEnvironmentDesign,heldatCranbrookAcademyofArtonAugust9-11,2007.Theevent

focusedonexhibitionscreatedtodeliveramessage,whetherthatmessageisaboutpolitics,science,

orart.Theroleofmessage-basedexhibitionsistoconnectvisitorswithissuesthataffecttheminthe

outsideworld,whileencapsulatingthatmessageinsideasinglespaceorexperience.

TheSymposium’skickoffeveningestablishedthethemebyfocusingonthenatureofexhibitiondesign

itself,withadiscussionledbyJanLorencandLeeSkolnick,authorsoftherecentlyreleasedbookWhat

is Exhibition Design?(Rotovision2007).Theauthorsprovidedacompellingthesisthatexhibitiondesign

isaboutcreatingenvironmentsthatcommunicateastoryorcentralmessage,whetherthatgoalisto

entertain,persuade,oreducate.Theauthorsalsooutlinedthechallengesofdefiningexhibitionde-

sign,especiallyasitoverlapswithmanyotherdesignspecialties.Corporateretailenvironmentsshare

manymethodsandapproacheswithexhibitiondesign,whilemuseumsarepursuingprojectsthatare

predominantlyaboutcreatingspacesforawiderangeofuses.Theconsensusoftheauthorsandthe

groupwasthatthedefinitionofexhibitiondesignshouldbekeptdeliberatelyamorphous,allowingfor

innovationsinplacemaking,education,andstorytelling.

LoisHolzmanoftheEastSideInstituteforGroupandShortTermPsychotherapyfocusedonthenature

ofexhibitionfromtheviewpointofeducation.Sheassertsthatexhibitionisnotjustthemergerofen-

vironmentandcommunication,butalsodelvesintocreatingnewexperienceswherepeoplecaninteract

anddevelopanongoingsharedmessage.Definingexhibitionshould includenot just lookingat the

mergerofstoryandplace,butalsotheinteractionofsharedexperienceandcommunication.Advocacy

oreducationcampaignscanbegintomergeintoexhibitionifpeoplearebroughttogethertoexpandon

theirsharedexperiences,bringingclassroomsandpublicspacesintotherealmofexhibitiondesign.

TheSymposiumfocusedonhowparticipantsdeliveramessageutilizingexhibitiondesign,oftenincor-

poratingelementsofexperiencedesign,dynamicenvironments,andplacemaking.Whilethepartici-

pantscomefromdifferentbackgrounds,theysharethecommongoalofusingplacetocommunicate

message.

EvENT SpoNSorS

Lead SponsorsChicago Museum of Science and Industry

Edwards Technologies

Discussion Form SponsorsArt Guild

National Association forMuseum Exhibition

Sponsors1220 Exhibits

Burkhardt Leitner Constructiv

iZone

Maltbie

Sparks Exhibits & Environments

Talisman Interactive

The Barnycz Group

Xibitz

SpoNSor pArTiCipANTS

Craig Dunn1220Exhibits

George MayerArtGuild

Mark LaRochelleBurkhardtLeitner

Constructiv

Brian EdwardsEdwardsTechnologies

Ken Ethridge, AIA, RIBAiZone

Charles Maltbie, Jr.Maltbie

David PiperSparksExhibits&

Environments

Craig JohnsonTalismanInteractive

Danny BarnyczTheBarnyczGroup

Doug BosmaXibitz

new d irect io nS in exh i b i t i o n and env i ro n m ent deS i g n: affect ing thoug ht and chang ing mindS

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KEyNoTE SpEAKErSDennis BarrieWRLDesign

Sean DuranMiamiScienceMuseum

Lois Holzman, PhDEastSideInstituteforGroupandShortTerm

Psychotherapy

SyMpoSiuM pArTiCipANTSDouglas Balder,DouglasBalder DesignandPlanningLars Uwe Bleher,Atelier MarkgraphBeth Ann Brown,Rowland Design,Inc.Kate Broz,ChicagoMuseumof ScienceandIndustryMark Catton,MurphyCattonBarbara Charles,Staples& CharlesLtd.Brenda Cowan,Fashion InstitutionofTechnologyMary Dietrich,KolarDesignRobyn Ericsson,LearCorporationPatrick Gallagher,Gallagher&

AssociatesEd Grusheski,PhiladelphiaWater DepartmentEllie Byrom Haley,GeckoGroupBrian Hords,O2Creative SolutionsWilliam Jacobs,NationalAirand SpaceMuseumCybelle Jones,Gallagher& AssociatesLee Knight,ExhibitorMagazine GroupTali Krakowsky,ImaginaryForcesJan Lorenc,Lorenc+YooDesignBrent Luzac,LittleFishTim McNeil,UCDavisDesign ProgramErnesto Mendoza,Christopher Chadbourne&AssociatesRachael Perrine,ChicagoMuseum ofScienceandIndustryKatina Rigall,ID8/RTKL AssociatesTara Robinson,DetroitInstitute ofArtsMike Ruehlman,KolarDesignJo Ann Secor,LeeH.Skolnick Architecture+Design PartnershipLee Skolnick, FAIA,LeeH. SkolnickArchitecture+Design PartnershipJeff Stammen,Christopher Chadbourne&AssociatesTed Swigon,ChicagoScenic StudiosMaryJane Valade,National BuildingMuseumJennifer Warholak,Adventure Aquarium

new d irect io nS in exh i b i t i o n and env i ro n m ent deS i g n: affect ing thoug ht and chang ing mind S

Creating a Museum from Scratch

When I arrived in Cleveland to work on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in

1993, I realized all they had was a name. So for the next two-and-a-half years, we

assembled a staff, created stories, and talked to rock stars to get artifacts. There were

many ways the museum could have been more financially viable, but it was a non-profit and they

have different ways of thinking. I left six months after it opened.

WeformedtheMalriteCompanywithatrusteeoftheRockandRollmuseumbecausewewantedtolookatwhethermuseumscouldbeself-sustain-ingfinanciallyandevenmakeaprofit.Welookedatthemuseumsoutthereandwhathadn’tbeendone.Thenwecreatedbusinessplanstomakethenewconceptssuccessful.

In 1996-97, we gathered a bunch of museum-world colleagues and asked them what topicshadn’tbeendone.Wecameupwithfourorfivethatwouldbereasonabletotakeon.Theyhadtobesexyenoughtoleadtoaviableplantocre-ate,build,finance,andoperateamuseum.

international Spy MuseumWecameupwiththeideaofaspymuseum.Welooked carefully at the location and ultimatelydecidedonWashington.Itwasn’taneasysolu-tion,though.Inacityfilledwithfreemuseums,howdoyoucreatesomethingpeoplewillpaytogetinto?

Weweretheclientandthecreator.Wewantedtoseeifthiscouldbedone.Wegathered14ex-spies,afewwriters,aformerCIAdirector,aformerKGBdirector,andhistorians.Theycameintothemeet-ing telling us all the reasons why this wouldn’twork.Fivehourslaterwehadtheex-headoftheCIAtellinguswhatagreatideaitwas.

TheInternationalSpyMuseumopenedfiveyearsago and 2.5 million people have visited at $20perperson.That’satremendousprofit.It’sbeencriticallyacclaimedandpeopleloveit.

Dennis BarrieWRLDesign

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The International Spy Museum (Exhibition design: Gallagher & Associates)

Phot

o: W

yatt

Gal

lery

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Las vegas Mob MuseumDowntownLasVegashasgottenseedyandneedsrevitalization.Aspartof theeffort, theCityofLasVegasformedacommitteetolookatestab-lishingamuseum.

I’veneverseensuchconflictoverwhatthemu-seumtopicshouldbe.Wewalkedinandinstantlysawit:thehistoryofthemob.BecausethemobcreatedLasVegas.TherearesomanystoriestotellabouttheRatPack,SinCity,gangsters,andentertainers.

We’re now in schematic design working withGallagher & Associates. It’s been interestingtodoa topic thathasn’tbeenexploredbefore.Howdoyougettheartifacts?Westartedtalkingto people from mob families, entertainers, andotherswithbackgrounds in thisworld.And thestoriesjuststartedtoflow,tothepointthatwehavetoomany.

The artifacts will help shape the museum but,again, the stories are the most important. LiketheSpyMuseum,ouronlyaccesstothisworldisthroughpopular culture.Sopeoplewill be veryinterestedtoseewhatwehavetooffer.

Keys to SuccessThechallengesoftheSpyMuseumandLasVegasMobMuseumareverysimilarandcomedowntoafewissues:

1.Location.Pickingtherightplacetobuild(thecityaswellascommunityandneighborhood) iscritical,becausethat’swhatdrivestheeconom-ics.Thetouristbasehastobeaccustomedtogo-ingtomuseums.

2.Viabletopic.Thetopicmustbecompelling,ei-therbecauseithasn’tbeendoneorit’sidentifiedwiththehistory,aura,ormystiqueofthecity.

3. Artifacts.Youneedenoughartifacts tosup-porttheconcept.FortheSpyMuseum,weboughtacodemachineforcash inanalley.WeboughtpocketcamerasfromtheKGBandaJamesBondcar.

4.Stories.Canyoutellastoryintriguingenoughto inspire amillion people towalk through thedoor?TheSpyMuseumis20,000-sq.-ft.andhasonly400artifacts;therestisstories.

Design ExerciseBreakintogroupsandcreateideasfornewmu-seumconcepts,includingtheidea,location,ar-tifacts,andstorylines.

resultsMuseum of the Summer of Love• HaightorGoldenGateneighborhoodof SanFrancisco• Spinoffpossibilitiesincludingdrugculture, freedomofexpression,sexualrevolution• LiveentertainmentoptionssuchasPeter Maxshow,concerts,etc.• Possibilityformarkers/sightings• Verycross-disciplinary:literature,music, fashion,religion,etc.

Fakes Museum• Multiplelocations(LA,Washington, Manhattan,Orlando,Minnesota)• Focusondifferentaspectsof“fake”(for example,LA=film,media,plasticsurgery)• Artifactswouldallbefakesmanufactured inChina• Robustgiftshopwithfakesandcafeteria withnearbeer,soyburgers,etc.

Cannabis, the Pot Museum• Amsterdam• Killergiftshop• Profitablecafé(lotsofbrowniesand munchies)• Tagline:“It’saTrip”

“If you’re

going to make a

museum, make

it provocative.

Make it

empower

people, make it

piss them off,

but make sure

it moves them.” –Brenda Cowan, Fashion Institute of Technology


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Exhibits that Educate and Advocate: The philadelphia Water Department

Municipal water departments usually invest heavily in printed materials that show up in

consumers’ water bills, but we know people never read them. They’re simply tossed

away. The City of Philadelphia Water Department, the oldest and one of the largest in

the country, also uses radio, television, and other print media to communicate with the public.

Withabackgroundinmuseumeducation,Iwashiredin1988tooverseethedevelopmentofaninterpretive center that would help the WaterDepartment communicate about what it does,itsinfrastructure,andconservationofwaterre-sources.Afteryearsoffundraising(weraised$5.5millionfromprivatedonors)anddesignde-velopment,theFairmountWaterWorksInterpre-tiveCenteropenedin2003inanhistoricpump-ingstationontheSchuylkillRiver.Acompellingphysical settingmakes itaccessible forvisitorsandeasyforustoengagetheminlearningaboutthecity’swaterresources.

A unique feature of the Interpretive Centeris that it lies in a floodplain, so periodically itbecomes filled with water overflowing the riv-er.Thecenterhasfloodedseventimessince itopened.Theexhibitsweredesignedaccordingly.Theentire8,000sq.ft.ofexhibitspacecanbeclearedintwohours.Thelargestexhibitsarefit-tedwithwinchingsystemsthatallowthemtobeliftedoffthefloormanually.Allexhibitgraphicsareembeddedinfiberglassandmountedonalu-minumbases.

We educate visitors to the fact that 80 to 90percent of the pollution in our waterways isstorm-water runoff. Everyonemustunderstandhowwatershedsworkandwhatindividualscandotoinfluencethelevelofpollution.Sotheex-hibitsareorganizedintofourcoreareas:Water-shedsandHowTheyWork,TheWaterUseCycleandWhereYouFit;YouHaveaRole;andHistoryofUseandAbuse.Theinteractiveexhibitshavebeenparticularlypopular;peoplefeeltheyleave

Ed GrusheskiCityofPhiladelphiaWaterDepartment

Phot

os: Ta

lism

an In

tera

ctiv

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Fairmount Water Works (Architec-ture: Mike Thompson; exhibition design: Feldman Design; interactive design: Talisman Interactive; exhibits and models: Lynch Industries and All-States Models

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havinglearnedsomething.Oneofthemostpopu-larexhibitsisasimulatedhelicopterflightupthewatershed.YouflyuptheSchuylkillandthepilottellsyouwhatyou’relookingatandhowwhat’shappeningonlandisaffectingthequalityoftheriverwater.

Theexhibitsweredesignedprimarilyforelemen-tary school kids, but both high school and col-legeclassesrequesttoursand,surprisingly,two-thirdsofourvisitorshavebeenadults.Twoyearsagowestartedaneveningadulteducationalpro-gramonwaterresources.Andayearago,anup-scalerestaurantopenedinthe1815enginehouseabove us. Since that opening, many lunchtimedinersarecomingdownstairs tovisit the inter-pretivecenter.We’regettingourmessageouttoamuch largeraudience,anadultaudience thatwillspreadtheword.

We’renowraisingmoneyforanexpansionthatwillaccommodatemeetingspacefor200people,break-out areas, and office space for staff andvolunteers.Ourgoal is for theexhibit space toalsoexpandandtobeintegratedwiththepublicspaces.


Design ExerciseBrainstormideasfornewexhibitsintheexpan-sionspace.Breakintogroupsandchooseoneofthefourcoreexhibitareastoexplore.Considerthattheexhibitareasshouldinterfacewiththepublicgatheringspace,andthattheexpansionspaceisfourfeetbelowtheoriginalspace.AlsorememberthattheinterpretivecenterisontheNationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces.

resultsThe brainstorming session resulted in ideasranging from “far fetched and extravagant,”suchasasubmersiblestructurethatwouldlow-ervisitorsintotheriver,tomoremeasuredsolu-tions,suchasanexhibitthatwoulduseprojec-tiontechnologytoallowvisitorstoexperiencetheriverby“traveling”ondifferentvesselsthathavetraverseditovertime.Otherideasinclud-ed a location where visitors can monitor thedailyhealthoftheriver;projectionsonthefloorthat simulate the flow of the river and allowvisitorstogaugewatershedquality;andcarvingatopographicalmapoftheriverintothefloor,coveringitwithawalkabletransparentsurface,andflowingriverwaterthroughit.

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yale university Art Gallery: Creating an Exhibition palette

The Yale University Art Gallery was considered architect Louis I. Kahn’s first masterpiece.

Built in 1953, its brick, concrete, glass, and steel construction was a radical departure from

traditional neo-Gothic art museums. Inside, Kahn designed open gallery spaces and a

tetrahedron-patterned concrete ceiling that houses electrical and ventilation systems with a series

of “Pogo-stick” exhibition panels for artwork.

Kahn’s vision for thebuildinghadbeendilutedovertheyearsand,whenYaledecidedtoembarkonarenovation,theywantedtogetbacktohisoriginalvision.PolshekPartnershipArchitectsistheprojectarchitect.Wewereaskedtocreateavocabularythatwouldbethe“palette”for thegallerydisplays.

To really understand what Kahn had intended,wedidextensiveresearchontheoriginaldesign.Today, it is amuseumwhere curators rule.Weknewwehadtowinthemover,soaboutthreemonths into the project, we created a bookletsummarizing our research and explaining whatthe design could do. They liked it because itshowedhistoricalphotosmanyofthemhadnev-erseenbefore.

StayingwithinKahn’ssimplygeometryandcreat-ingacleanbutfunctionaldesignwasourgoal.ThePogopaneldimensionsbecamethebasisofallmeasurements. InadditiontoreworkingthePogo panels and improving how they were in-stalled,wecreatedacaseworksystem.Thecu-ratorswantedlabelsonlyontheoutsideofthecases, so we devised a custom-extruded labelsystemthatslipsintoachannelinthecaseafterit’sclosed.

Barbara CharlesStaples&CharlesLtd.

WealsotriedtopersuadethemthatpositioningthePogopanelsonthediagonalwasconsistentwithKahn’sgeometryandwouldenliventhegal-lery, but only one of themagreed to it. In theAfrican area, we supplemented the panels andcaseworkwithlargecentralislandsanduseddarkcolors.ItwasthemostKahn-likeintheendandwasthesubjectofagoodreviewinThe New York Times.

“Any time

someone leaves

their home and

comes to a

museum, they

are looking for

an experience.”

–Barbara Charles

Phot

o: S

tapl

es &

Cha

rles

Ltd.

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Experience Design and Dynamic Storytelling:Never Step in the Same river Twice

To paraphrase Greek philosopher Heraclitus, “We never step in the same river twice.” To me,

the best exhibits are the ones that are never the same no matter how many times you ex-

perience them.

Theevolutionofmediacontinuestoimpactexhibitiondesign.Tobeginwith,allexhibitswerestatic.Thencamemotionpictures(films)andlater,interactivemedia.Theconsumermodelofinteractivityal-lowsvisitorstoselectwhattheywanttosee,butchoicesareverycontrolled.Nowwe’veenteredtheageofparticipatorymedia,wherethevisitor/participantentersthenarrativeandchangesthecontent.Thequestionis,howwillexhibitsevolvetobeparticipatoryinteractiveexperienceswithinexhibitionsandextendtheexperiencebeyondtheexhibitions?

Ifyouimagineexhibitsassacredspacesandthe“rituals”thathappenwithinthemasco-creativeen-deavorsamongthedesigners,thespace,andthevisitor,there’satremendoussenseofimprovisationinallofit.Collectingthatcreativeenergychangestheexperienceeverytime.

Craig JohnsonTalismanInteractive


A number of artists working today have created installations that depend upon the viewer’s active participation. Generous in spirit, these works act as zones for social exchange, activating the space between people. Piotr Uklanski’s adaptable wall-to-wall installation Untitled (Dance Floor) trans-forms the institutional space of a museum or gallery into a sound-synchronized, light-flashing disco, encouraging visitors to dance, mingle, and otherwise interact with one another.

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re-imagining Technology to Tell the Story

Whether we’re working in film or in architectural space, our work is about reimagining media

delivery systems to create compelling narratives.

TheNewYorkGuggenheimMuseumaskedustodesigna “NewYork,NewYork”exhibit for theGrimaldiForuminMonaco.Totellthestoryofthelast50yearsofNewYorkarchitecture,wecre-atedeightsynchronizedfilmsandasoundtrack.Thefilmswereprojectedinsideeight20-ft.bal-loonssuspendedfromtheceilingandwalls.

At the HBO Shop in New York, four large LEDscreens marching through the space immersevisitors inHBOprogrammingandacomprehen-sivelightingsystembathestheminlightingthatcan be changed to alter themoodor promoteotherprogramming.

What is interactivity? It’sawordweusea lot.Wedivideexperiencesintothreecategories:pre-scribed (pre-scripted), responsive (to externalfactors),andinteractive.

My main interests are in creating narrativewherein stories and graphics generate them-selves. Instead of creating defined spaces, weuse cinematic experiences and storytelling toworktowardinteractivearchitecture,wherewelearnhowtoinhabitthespacetogether.It’sallaboutgeneratingpersonalizedexperiencesthatarealwayschanging.

Tali KrakowskyImaginaryForces

Phot

os: An

drew

Bor

dwin

HBO Shop (Design team: Gensler, Imaginary Forces)

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Experience Design

The art of the experience is fundamentally a dynamic art, but one

that many designers have self-limited because of an inability to

think outside of specialized areas. Experience design is design that

encompasses all five senses. Our firm practices experience design by inte-

grating design, communications, and technology. This has resulted in a busi-

ness practice similar to an old movie studio model, with different in-house

specialties collaborating on the design process.

Akeyfocusinourresearchandworkhasbeenhu-maninteractionandresponse.Wehaveallthesetoolsatourdisposalincludingtouchscreensandmediawallsthatallowustointeractwithtech-nologyandreceivetailoredresponses.Ourfocushas been on making these technologies acces-sibleandmulti-sensoryexperiences.Muchofourwork can be looked at as public interactive artandspaces,butat thecore isapowerfulstorythatmergeswiththestrategicneedsoftheor-ganization.

David Piper of Sparks Exhibits & Environments presented the 3M World of Innovation, which combines interactivity and interior environments almost seamlessly. The new 12,000 sq.-ft. experi-ence features a 20-ft., 360-degree dome theatre, 21 interactive technology platform stations, two innovation terminals, and 10 product walls. It also features two films especially created for 3M by Convergence and Obscura Digital, including “Timeless Timeline of Customer Success” and “The Spirit of Innovation.”


Brian HordsO2CreativeSolutions

Phot

os: Sp

arks

Exh

ibit

s &

Env

ironm

ents

13

Discussion Forum: From Strategy to Story

SponsoredbyArtGuildandtheNationalAssociationforMuseumExhibition

Building an exhibition around a strategy, cause, or story takes a level of skill and understanding

that links strategy to storytelling. Sean Duran of the Miami Aquarium led a series of discussions

on the nature of storytelling in exhibitions.

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How do you tell disturbing, awkward, con-tentious or conflicting stories? Thediscussiongrouponthistopicfocusedontherelationshipbetweenthenatureoftakingastand,lookingattheresponsibilitiesofmuseumstobefairversusbeingcomprehensiveorpoliticallycorrect.

“It is almost impossible to giveboth sidesof astory correctly.Quotes are alwayswhat’s used,butevenquotescanbesteeredinadirection.”

“There are many attempts to be balanced, butlittle on fairness. Two positions are not alwaysequalpositions.”

“The over-curated fair approach to storytellingcanresultinaprettyboringexhibition.Lookatthedesignofthesexmuseum(InNewYork)forthisapproach.”

“OntheotherhandtheMuseumofSexCultureinChinafocusesonsexfromaspecificeducationalperspectiveusingmodels,charts,andotherme-dia.Ithasnotbeenasuccesssogofigure.”

“TheCreationMuseuminKentuckyisanexampleofmuseumsthataredrivenbyaspecificworld-viewthatisbeingpromoted.Ontheotherhand,

itdoesalsogivethescientificviewtheyaretry-ingtodebate.”

“Yethowaboutanexhibitiondedicatedtoquan-tumphysics?Manyoftheassertionsandtheoriesareyettobeproven.Isn’tthissimilartoareli-giousviewpoint?”

“Museumshavebeenwrongaboutsciencemanytimesover.Lookatadinosaurexhibitionfromtheturnof thecentury. Theygotmostof itwrongfromtheageoffossilstotheshapeandsizeofthedinosaurs.”

“Maybeweshouldhaveexhibitionsofpastmis-takesandchangesthatcomefromresearch.”

How should an issue-based exhibition idea be designed and planned to travel?Traveling exhibits like “Bodies…The Exhibition,”featuringhumancorpses,canattractmillionsofvisitors—includingmanywhocomeinresponsetocontroversy stirred by the exhibit topic. In thisdiscussion moderated by Sean Duran, partici-pantsexplored thenatureof travelingexhibits,fromhowthey’redevelopedtohowthey’reex-periencedbyvisitors.


Creation Museum (Design: Creation Museum)

Phot

os: Cr

eatio

n M

useu

m

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Sean DuranMiamiAquarium

“Touring exhibitions are not a great businessformuseums.Therearea fewblockbustersoutthere,butmostlyit’sprettyrisky.”

“[Fromabusiness standpoint] you’rebetteroffcreatingaconsortiumwithothermuseums.Get-ting partners and determining which locationsyou’llgotoisreallyimportant.Youalsohavetochoosesponsorscarefully.”

“Is the goal to spread a message or is it moreaboutgeneratingaconversation?”

“Sometimespoliticscangetintheway.WedidaLatinobaseballexhibitfortheCooperstownHallofFame.Wegotafairamountintotheproject,thenthewholeChavezthinghitinVenezuelawithCit-go,andCitgowasthemainsponsoroftheexhibit.Cooperstowndidnotwanttodealwiththatcon-troversyatall,sotheexhibitwasn’tcompleted.”

“Anexhibittiedtoresearchabouthowandwhenkids learn about evolution inspired a couple ofnasty magazine articles in religious magazines.They said the museum was poisoning children.AndattheDenverMuseumofScienceofIndustry,busespullup,loadsofpeoplegetout,andtheyhavetheirowntourguidegoingaroundthefossilexhibitsexplainingwhyit’sall lies.Themuseumsaidtheycandothat.Theyboughttickets.”

“MysenseisthatEuropeanmuseumscantakeonmorecontroversialsubjectsbecauseoftheirgov-ernmentfunding.InAmericawehavetodependsomuchoncorporatefunding.Ifamuseumistryingtopleaseanaudience,theymaynottakeoncon-troversialtopics.Butit’spartofthemuseum’sob-ligationasacommunityresourcetotakeontopicstheyfeelpeopleshouldbediscussingopenly.”

Telling the story, wayfinding, and experi-ence: should the visitor experience be con-trolled? While wayfinding and experience design mayseemliketwoverydifferenttopics,participantsin this discussion (mediated by Sean Duran)agreed that effective wayfinding is essential totheexperience.

“Wayfindingisobviouslyjustthewaytogetvisi-tors through an experience. But it can also beaboutguidingtheexperience.”

“Weopenedabignewaquariumonly to realizethat,becauseofaveryconfusingfloorplanandarchitecture,weessentiallydidn’thaveawayfind-ingsysteminplace.Peopledidnotknowhowtogetthroughthespaceorwhattheiroptionswere,sohowcouldtheyhaveagoodexperience?”

“Attheendoftheday,wayfindingisaboutelimi-nating visitor frustration and anxiety. Commu-nicating what the space is about improves theoverallexperienceandgetsthemtocomeback.”

“Iseewayfindingasthetrailertoamovie.Ithasto1)fillaroleinmakingpeoplecuriousaboutwhat’stocome,2)takethemwheretheyneedtogo,and3)createanexperienceoutofthelocation.Itcanbethebridgetoawonderfulexperience.”

“If you map out all the places people could po-tentially go, it can also be a revenue-generatingthing.”

“Wayfinding in itself is an experience to createandastorytotell.”

“How can we facilitate learning without totallyscripting the experience? That’s what I’m in-terested in. How can we cast the visitors/par-ticipants as explorers and scientists and createtheseexperiencesifeverythingissotightlycon-trolled?Becausethebest learningcomes inthenot-knowing.Youhaveawindowinthebeginningofaprojectoranexperiencewherepeopledon’tknow,andthedoorisopentocreativity.Peoplehavetoput their individual identitiesasideandworktocreatesomethingtogether.”

“Thehardesttaskistounderstandhowdiverseouraudience isandplanexperiencesforevery-one.”

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New Quests in Exhibition Design

The time visitors give us is what they invest in the exhibition, so we have a big responsibil-

ity to them. The exhibition should be interesting beyond the initial offering, and it must be

open and non-elitist. Most of all, it should dare to be different.

Adaptiveenvironmentsarethekeytomemorableexperiences.Theymustusethefullpotentialofspacesasinterfacetothecontent.Thespaceisreally a threshold to all the content behind it.We’removingmoreandmoretospacesthatcanbetailoredlikesuits.Andtodayit’shardtofindaprojectthat’snotmediadriven.Hopefullywecanprovidenotnecessarilymorecontent,butbetterandmoretailoredcontent,betternarrative,andseamlessmediaintegration.

One of Atelier Markgraph’s recent projects wastransformingapublic space,namely the cityofFrankfurt,Germany.Frankfurt isnotglamorous,butitdoeshaveWorldCupSoccerandithastheonlyskylineinGermany.SoincelebrationoftheWorld Cup, we transformed the skyline into anurbanstage.Thestorylinewastheemotionscon-nected to soccer. We created a 30-minute pro-

gramon eight high-rise buildings using 100,000sq.ft.ofscreens,500pre-distortedandanimat-edimages,40high-endprojectors,and90spacecannons.

The Emperor Makers Exhibition, a collabora-tionamongfourmuseumsmarkingthe400-yearcelebration of the naming of the emperor,wasa“cityasmuseum”project.Thereweremarkersthroughoutthecity,andaredcarpet(thesymbolofthecoronation)connectedthefourmuseums.Exhibits ranged froman immersive visualizationofthetextoftheoriginalconstitutioninonemu-seumto“50RedChairs,”averysimple installa-tionfeaturing50inexpensiveIKEAchairspaintedredasasymbolofdemocratization.

12 principles of Exhibition Design1. Brevity2. Story3. Balancingdisciplines4. User-centered5. Location6. Informationarchitecture7. Ideas(CharlesSaatchisaidthereareonly five)8. Dramaturgy(theartofdramaticcomposition onthe“stage”)9. Formandcontent(thebiggestfightiswhat shouldbefirst)10.Media11.Director(andproducer,andarchitectmust beboth)12.Vision(mustbestrongenoughtohavean ideaandcarryitallthewaythrough)

Lars Uwe BleherAtelierMarkgraph


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Cybelle JonesGallagher&Associates

Challenges and Clashes in Cultural and Ethnic Museums

We’re seeing a trend in cultural and ethnic groups creating their own museums. Our work

for the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia has inspired a lot of

discussion—and some conflict—about how you represent the culture of a diverse people.

WhatjustifiesthecreationofanationalmuseumforAmericanJews?Howdoyoudecidewhatsto-ries to tell?Howdoyoudistinguish the storiesofAmericanJewsfromthestoriesofAmericansingeneral?Wehadthreemaingoals:1)chroniclethelivesofJewsfrom1654tothepresent;2)cre-ateanarrativeaboutthechallengesandchoicestheyfaced;and3) talkabouthowtheyshapedAmericaandhowAmericashapedthem.

Our dialogues with the older members of theJewish community versus the younger genera-tion have been very interesting. We asked 20-somethings, “What do you want to see in thisspace?”Theiranswerswereverydifferent fromtheboard-membertypes,someofwhomwanteda hall of fame, or wanted to focus on philan-thropyorbusiness.There’sarealbacklashfromthe younger community. Theydon’twant to beassociatedwithIsraelandfeelthebusinessandphilanthropicanglesaretoostereotypical.

Organizingtheexhibitionstorywasalsoachal-lenge.Dowe tell it chronologically? By theme?Around the questions of freedom? We tend toshyaway from chronologybecause it feels likeatextbook.

In the end, we combined those approachesthroughanarchitecturalsolutionthataddressesthe universal vs. the particular experience.Andyes, we did address anti-Semitism throughout.Wefocusedonparticulareventsandtoldthosestories.Tospeaktotheconcernsoftheyoungergroup, we ended the experience with a spacecalled“MovingForward.”It’saconversationgal-lerythatencouragesdiscourseontheissuesfac-ingJewsastheylookahead.

National Museum of American Jew-ish History (Architecture: Polshek Partnership Architects; exhibition design: Gallagher & Associates)

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Don’t Judge us Because We’re Working for the Fuzz: The National Law Enforcement Museum

Some people say that as a designer, you should subjugate your own point of view. But for

better or worse, even in spite of our intentions, what the visitor sees in a museum is filtered

through the designers’ and institution’s eyes.

At the National Museum of the Marine Corps,the influentialwivesofboardmemberswanteddeath stricken from the exhibits. Our point ofviewwasthatwithoutportrayingdeath,war—asexperiencedbyMarines—doesnotseemreal.Theclientsagreed.Withmilitaryexhibits,thereisal-waysthequestion:shouldtheexhibitdefendU.S.foreign policy? We recommend no. The militarydoesnotdictateforeignpolicy;itcarriesouttheorders of the commander in chief, usuallywithbraveryandhonor,attheriskofsoldiers’ lives.AttheMarineCorpsMuseum,theexhibitsspeaktotheprotestsduringthePhilippineInsurrection,the pacifism predating WWII, and the Vietnamprotests,aswellasexaminingtheMyLaiatroc-ity.Theexhibits reflect thenationaldebatebutdo not take sides. In an exhibition focused onVietnamattheSmithsonian,wecreatedalivingroomwith16stackedtelevisions,illustratinghowpeoplelearnedaboutthewarthroughthemedia.WecontrastedthiswithaHueyflownincombat,oralhistories, amapofVietnam,and recreatedroomsfromtheHanoiHiltonwhereprisonersofwarwereconfined.Theareabecameagatheringplaceforvetsandothervisitorstostop,sit,andtalk about their experiences as part of the ac-cidentalcommunitythatmuseums,attheirbest,canfoster.

Exercise: What Would you Do?Whenwegot theRFPfor theNationalLawEn-forcementMuseum,weknewrightawayitwouldbecontroversial.Theywantedtofocusonthe“OJmurders,”BonnieandClyde’scar,andOldSparky(thefirstelectricchair).

1.WhatwouldyoudoifyoureceivedanRFPthatadvocatesusinghigh-profilecasesandiconicar-tifactstodrawthepublicin?

2.Howdoyougettheaudienceinthedoorwith-outromanticizingcrime?

3. Given that the public is well aware of racialprofilinganduseofexcessiveforce,doyoudealwiththeseissues?How?

Audience response“First,youhavetolettheclientknowyouhearthemandunderstandwhattheywant.This isahugechallenge.”

“Putahumanfaceonpoliceofficers.Theyarehu-mansactinginverydifficultcircumstances.Focusonthefactthatwe’reallhuman.”

“Goaheadandromanticizeit.Crimeisverysexy.WeliveinaculturewherewhenIthinkofBon-nieandClyde,IthinkofFayeDunaway.Goaheadand use media and popular culture. People doromanticizecrime.Thatwillbringthem in.Thenyou can have an immersion experience throughthe rest of the exhibit where you can bring insome‘reality.’”

“The core of law enforcement seems to be re-spectforthelaw.Gowiththat.”

“InthecaseofOJ,youcouldtellthestoryofwhatit’sliketobeapoliceofficerworkingonsuchahugecase.Thereisarealseparationofcontextbetween theeveryday job thesepeopledoandalltheoutsideforces—beitpoliticsormedia—andhowthoseforcesaffectoutcomes.”


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Ernesto Mendoza and Jeff StammenChristopherChadbourne&Associates

Don’t Judge us Because We’re Working for the Fuzz: The National Law Enforcement Museum

“Do like CSI, and romanticize all the hard workbehindlawenforcement.”

“Ask people about their personal experienceswithlawenforcementandtelltheirstories.”

our responseWhen we got the RFP in the office, we took adeepbreathandrespondedwithalettersaying,“Youcan’tcallthemtheOJmurders;hewasac-quitted.AnddoyouwanttostartbydefendingMark Fuhrmanandhaving Johnnie Cochranplaytheracecardinacitythatisoverone-thirdAfri-canAmerican?”AsforOldSparky,wepointedoutthat the country is roughlydivided inhalfovercapital punishment. Finally, we said we deeplybelieveinoursystemofgovernancebylawandtheneedforenforcement,butifweweretotakeonthisassignment,itcouldnotbetreateditasa law enforcement Chamber of Commerce or itwouldnotbebelievable.Wewantedanadviso-rypanelthatwouldreflectabroadspectrumofviewsonlawenforcement.Theyinvitedustoaninterview,wewonthejob,andanadvisorycom-mitteewasformed.

In the exhibits, we put visitors in an officer’sshoesanddidnotfocusonthecrimesthemselvesbut on how they were solved. More scientificthanromantic.Wewerestraightforwardwithar-tifactslikeAlCapone’sgunandtheUnabomber’smanifesto.Thewayweaddressedsomeofthesecrimeswas semi-immersive, telling the story ofprohibition and EliotNess to get toAl Capone.WeputvisitorsintoShoot/Don’t ShootandChasesimulators. We created a gallery called Reel to Real, where cops critique films and TV shows,andyoujudgetheRodneyKingcaseandlistentoAfrican-American chiefs of police discuss profil-ing. We let visitors solve crimes utilizing PDAs,forensics, and witness interrogation. You can’ttellhowgreatcopsarewithoutalsoaddressingthe controversial stuff and enabling visitors tocomprehendanofficer’spointofview.

National Museum of the Marine Corps (Exhibition design: Christopher Chadbourne & Associates)

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The Enola Gay

The Enola Gay exhibition started in 1994 as a way of commemorating the 50th anniversary

of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima and the end of World War II. An attempt by the

Smithsonian to bring perspective from both Americans and Japanese into the story met with

enormous protest from veterans groups that viewed the exhibition as portraying the Japanese as vic-

tims and the decision to drop the bomb as morally suspect. After congressional hearings and investi-

gations on the subject, the Smithsonian scratched the original exhibition for a straightforward histori-

cal overview. This drew enormous protests from historians, peace activists, and Japanese citizens.

The exhibition today is an unscripted shell containing the airplane from numerous vantage points. The

exhibition is also hugely successful, due to the fame of the plane and its purpose as the anchor for the

majestic hangar space.

William JacobsNationalAir&Space

Museum


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LEO BURNETT U.S.A.A DIVISION OF LEO BURNETT COMPANY, INC.

Ad/I.D. No. MUS-437-DES-BW – Job No. 610-MUCAWPN6002 – “U-505” – (L: 8" x 10 1/2"; T: 8 1/2" x 11") – B/W – 2006113215_a01_437_DES.ai

Printed in the U.S.A.

ECD: N. Haan/A. Meyer CD: N. Haan/A. Meyer AD: D. Ware CW: D. Derrick PSM: E. Dowd

113215_a01_437_DES.aiLeo Burnett10/02/06MK Scale:1" = 1"

8"8 1/2"

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GM Technical Center Tour

The GM Technical Center in Warren, Mich., has been the center for GM’s development efforts

since opening in 1956. The complex of buildings houses the GM Design Center, Research &

Development, and the brand-new Vehicle Engineering Center built in 2003.

Architect EeroSaarinenand landscapearchitectThomasChurchdesignedacampusofutilitarianbuildings, set on a majestic classical landscapeandpunctuatedwithmodernarchitecturalmar-vels. At the time it was built, the Tech Centerwasthelargestcorporatebuildingprojectintheworld,costingmorethan$125million—equivalentto$844.7milliontoday.

Thecenterisaseriesofsimpleglassofficeblockshighlightedbyceramicglazedbricksin26differ-entcolorsdevelopedattheCranbrookAcademyofArt. Thepavilion-likebuildings containopen,airy,space-agelobbiesthathouseexhibitionsofnewcardevelopments.

The simple campus buildings are offset by twouniquestructures,a 188-ft., 3/8-in. thickalumi-numdome,andastainlesssteelwatertower,thelargeststainlesssteelstructureintheworld.


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LEO BURNETT U.S.A.A DIVISION OF LEO BURNETT COMPANY, INC.

Ad/I.D. No. MUS-437-DES-BW – Job No. 610-MUCAWPN6002 – “U-505” – (L: 8" x 10 1/2"; T: 8 1/2" x 11") – B/W – 2006113215_a01_437_DES.ai

Printed in the U.S.A.

ECD: N. Haan/A. Meyer CD: N. Haan/A. Meyer AD: D. Ware CW: D. Derrick PSM: E. Dowd

113215_a01_437_DES.aiLeo Burnett10/02/06MK Scale:1" = 1"

8"8 1/2"

10 1

/2"

11"

AUGUST 2008

SUNDAYMONDAY

TUESDAYWEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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The Fifth Annual Symposium at Cranbook:

Exhibition and Placemaking

August 7–9, 2008

Mark your calendar!

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