Ο χώρος στο μουσείο [The space of the museum]

The publication examines the evolution and functioning of museums from an architectural perspective and, in parallel, the possibility of applying museological practices and innovations via the exhibition’s design. After presenting the diachronic evolution of emblematic museums, author Kali Tzortzi chooses to study couples of museums that are considered to be buildings-symbols in the field of museum architecture, with an international resonance: the Castelvecchio in Verona and the Sainsbury wing of the London National Gallery, the Pompidou Centre in Paris and the Tate Modern in London, etc. Through fieldwork and the systematic research of the museums under consideration, she studied not only the museum premises, but also the visitors’ behaviour in relation to the architectural construction.
A theoretical model is therefore advanced, as a method of reading the museum’s spatial entity in conjunction with the visitors’ museum experience. Additionally, it is pointed out that visiting a museum at times constitutes a teaching process and at others a social event, also on the basis of the museum premises’ organization. Thus, the visitors’ behaviour and perambulation in the museum is largely determined by its nature. The volume’s rich iconographic documentation comprising photographs, floor plans and paintings, reflects the scope of the study, which can serve as a point of reference for architects and museologists, as well as for museum visitors.