What kind of museum is it?
In response to this, I went to the Nottingham Contemporary Art Gallery. This is a relatively new built museum/ gallery which has been built on an old, historic site.
Has the architect tried to introduce specific phenomenological aspects?
The interior of the building does not possess much in the way of architectural experience. There are some interesting features in the roof, but nothing which I would say were capable of causing an experience of their own.
However, the exterior of the building is a different story. The design is based on inspirations from the use of warehouses for artistic use, the outside is very industrial and irregular. Not only does the design use all the available space of the site, it also echoes back to a more industrial era for Nottingham. Further more, the outside panel were precast with a lace pattern as a direct reference to the city's lace market history. This, and more, all provides a small walk through the history of the site, and also provides something tangible for visitors to experience.
However, the exterior of the building is a different story. The design is based on inspirations from the use of warehouses for artistic use, the outside is very industrial and irregular. Not only does the design use all the available space of the site, it also echoes back to a more industrial era for Nottingham. Further more, the outside panel were precast with a lace pattern as a direct reference to the city's lace market history. This, and more, all provides a small walk through the history of the site, and also provides something tangible for visitors to experience.
How does the furniture/ exhibits work from the point of view of ergonomics?
The exhibits are all positioned on walls, there are also partition walls which can be moved to provide extra space or cut off areas. Furniture is kept to a minimum but is present. The furniture is quite low and so does not provide the best viewing angles for the standing height that the majority of work is hung at, but the positioning of the furniture does provide a clear view of the majority of the artwork.
How about the circulation, is it clear, or is it more of a labyrinth?
The circulation of The Nottingham Contemporary is interesting. It is split into three gallery spaces, one of which has a partition wall. I do not however, feel that it works especially well. There is not a natural flow from the first space to the next, only from the second to the third. The arrangement of the rooms feels slightly awkward in layout.
Think about the design: is it a well organised museum, can you identify any design waste?
Structurally, the building has been made very well, particularly on the outside I feel that the design is very impressive. It could be argued that the materials used could have been less heavyweight, less materials could have been used if a different material type had been used, but the reasons for using the materials they used are justified by their concepts. Inside the gallery the layout feels more wasteful. If the gallery flowed better and was shuffled around slightly then the less space could have been wasted and meant that more art could be fitted in. Alternatively they could use any extra space gained for other means.
How does the gallery work with it's context?
The gallery really comes into it's own with the context. It is clear that the designers (Caruso St John) were very thorough with their research into the context of the site. They have created a piece of architecture which responds not only to the city, but also to it's history through references both bold and subtle.
http://www.nottinghamcontemporary.org