In my undergraduate architecture course, I remembered one of my final projects was to design an extension for the London Tate Modern. It was a huge power station, which later on transformed into an art museum at the heart of London. I knew then the circulation and flexible exhibition space were essential factor, hence the ease of navigate inside the museum were also as important. Day lighting was also a major area I looked at in my project. In addition, from my own experience, I know that by integrating food and beverages areas into the museum could further enhance the experience of the visit. As a result, I put a lot of focus into those elements when I was designing the project (fig.1 and 2).
However, after my human response class on museum and exhibit, I found out a lot more important elements than those I knew before. Temperature, lighting, security, and humidity are the most notable aspects I could have designed for in my project. Apart for the human response inside the exhibit spaces, I feel that the care for the artwork is just as important. Lighting is essential in exhibit spaces, as a sufficient level of lighting is required for visitors to be able to visually access the work at a comfortable level, hence, designers should be careful of any light glare created by lights, causing discomfort to the visitors. Furthermore, UV ray are said to be damaging to works of art, hence lighting should not be shined directly onto artworks as light could be damaging to the works over time. Therefore, designers should keep in mind what kinds of work are on display when they select which type of lighting. The color inside exhibit spaces is essential too. For example, if the background color is too bright, then the work on display will lost its focal point inside the exhibit. Therefore, keeping a neutral background might help to bring out the best visual effect of the displays.
Temperature and humidity are critical elements in keeping a comfortable exhibit environment for the visitors, and damage free surrounding for the artwork. Depending on the work on display, ideally the temperature and humidity should be kept at 60-80 degrees and 55 to 65 percent relative humidity - experts from Chubb Group.
Security and fire protection should be in place for the safety of both the visitors and artworks. Fire and security shutters could be installed around artworks to reduce chances of any lost due to fire and theft.
Lastly, furniture inside exhibit spaces could be introduced to increase the comfort and experience for visitors. Sitting arranged in the direction of artwork could provide additional comfort to visitors while they perceive the works.
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