"When we build, let us think that we build for ever."

Quote by: John Ruskin
I talked a lot about architecture in my last post but allow me to further my thinking on the subject. I think that architecture has a huge effect on museums and how people perceive the materials in them. I have always liked history museums not just because I am a history major but because they have an era or style that they replicate in the architecture of the building and it makes the viewer feel like they are a part of the experience rather than looking through a window at it. Also I seem to have an aversion to art museums if you can’t tell by my other posts. It has to do with many things and one is the architecture used. I feel bored in art museums, there is not a whole lot to look at, the walls are white and there is no detail, just a white box. One can only look at a piece of art for so long before getting bored especially with our society today where everything is so fast paced and everything is everywhere all at once, people are losing the concentration that it takes to look at art the way that people used to. I think that the experience of the museum is different based on the museum structure itself but I don’t think that it hinders it at all, it is just different. The architecture of the building has the ability to transcend the viewer to another time and lets the audience truly experience that object for what it really is. I feel that the architecture of the building can enhance the objects that it holds and help the viewer better understand the time that the museum is trying to represent.

the habitat is quintessential

I think that one of the most important thing that a museum needs to be effective is environment that the museum puts people into. Environment meaning: lighting, décor, architecture etc. this gets people more involved in the exhibit and thus helps people appreciate the content that they are enjoying. The environment is especially important because the audience needs to be involved but not distracted by it. That is why many museums have trouble with this aspect, it is a fine line between not enough and too much. Many museums are on the too little end of the line. Many museums think that the less they have outside the exhibits the more people will be interested in them but that is not true. If I were to own a museum I would decorate it in the style of the era that the museum is focused, literally enveloping my audience in the experience of that time period. That would be much more memorable that simply looking at artifacts and art from behind a pane of glass. The lighting is a very important part of the environment because it allows, or disallows, people to see what is being displayed. Art museums tend to go overboard with lighting. They love to display the art so much that they often leave the walkways and halls poorly illuminated, I remember tripping trying to get around in a particular art museum. Also art museums tend to rely heavily on natural light and sometimes the light that comes from the large windows is not advantageous to the viewer depending on the angle of the light and the intensity.