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Museum design stories

Museum design

Museum design refers to the choices that operators, planners, architects, and exhibit designers make when creating a new museum or renovating an existing museum space. There are several factors to consider. For instance, the way the building looks and feels, the way the space functions, and the kind of artwork or objects that will be on display. Other key considerations are light, layout, and location.

Plus, new and refurbished buildings should be as sustainable as possible. Museums can aim to meet many standards in the design and build stage, such as LEED certification.

Many impressive new museums have opened or been refurbished in recent years. For example, the sleek and contemporary M+ in Hong Kong and the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, in an iconic 1980s building.

One key project is the Grand Egyptian Museum. With a striking and complex design that echoes the neighbouring pyramids, it houses 100,000 artefacts, including all 5,600 objects retrieved from Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Elsewhere, the Museum of the Future in Dubai has won awards for its design. The new Australian Underwater Discovery Centre at Busselton Jetty in Western Australia features a unique design by Baca Architects. This represents a whale’s head breaking through the water.

When it comes to sustainable museum design, some excellent examples are The California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, The Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, and The Museum of Liverpool in the UK.

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