Museum Design Inform

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DESIGN INFORMA Publication of BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF ARCHITECTS

DESIGN INFORMVOLUME 1 ISSUE 2Creative Design Ideas for Museums and Cultural Institutions


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A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects 3

DESIGN INFORMVOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

A Publication of Browning DayMullins Dierdorf Architects

626 North Illinois StreetIndianapolis, IN 46204

317.635.5030 Fax: 317.634.5409www.bdmd.com

from the designer

DESIGN INFORM is published byInnovative Publishing Ink!, 10629 HenningWay, Suite 8, Louisville, KY 40241,502.423.7272 or 866.423.7523.

Innovative Publishing Ink! specializes increating corporate magazines forbusinesses. Please direct inquiries toAran Jackson, [email protected]

contentsThe Art of Museum Design .......................................................................................4by Lacey M. Deal, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Developing the Right Program Is Essential to Successful Design.....................8by Marnie M. Maxwell

Designing with the Senses in Mind ......................................................................10by Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA

Herron School of Art Designed to Inspire Young Artists...................................14by David M. Long AIA, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Eiteljorg Expansion Design Leads Museum to New Opportunities................18by Maya L. Laurent, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Museum Design: The Art of Lighting....................................................................21by Charles G. Stone II

Museum Store Design Enhances Institutions Mission .....................................22by Andrew Andoniadis

Designing an Award Winning Hall of Fame.........................................................24by John M. Dierdorf AIA

Visitor Center Enhances Historical Significance.................................................28by Stephen A. Hoersten

Cultural Institutions Discover Added Facility Rental Income...........................30by Arthur M. Manask

Welcome to this special issue ofDESIGN

INFORM. This issue focuses on our

practice and experience with museum

and cultural institution design. Our choice

of a name for this magazine is very

purposeful to illustrate the benefit of

creative design solutions in architectural

and landscape architectural design.

This issue is very special for two reasons.

First, the American Association of

Museums Convention will be held in

Indianapolis May 1-5, 2005. Many of the

projects illustrated in this magazine will

be complete and open to the public in

time for the Convention. Browning Day

Mullins Dierdorf Architects is pleased to

have the Eiteljorg Museum of American

Indians and Western Art and the

Indianapolis Museum of Art Renovationand Expansion open for the museum

leaders visiting Indianapolis. The second

reason this issue is special is that we are

also featuring the museum expertise of

our consultant partners. The talents of

these creative individuals are essential in

providing the level of expertise you

expect to fulfill your institutions vision.

Can quality design draw and inspire the

public to visit a museum or institution? It

most certainly can. The architecture of the

museum is the institutions signature.

This signature has to be crafted verycarefully in landscape architecture and

building architecture, inside and out. The

Eiteljorg Museum artfully creates a

material palate in color, texture and form

that captures the feeling of the Southwest

to form a respectful and appropriate

backdrop for art and artifacts. This blurs

the line between architecture and exhibit.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art

Expansion creates a visitor experience

that integrates the historic site features to

the architecture which becomes

transparent, where appropriate, to

promote this inside/outside connection.

The new Efroymson Entry Pavilion will

stand as a lasting icon to the community

illustrating the creative boldness of the

museum.

Creative design is very important to

BDMD Architects. Our work is not done in

a vacuum but in collaboration between

our design leadership and the leadershipof the institutions stakeholders. I hope

you see the connection between creative

design and the success of a museum.

For those of you coming to Indianapolis to

the AAM MuseumExpo, stop by and visit

with us at Booth Number 1007. For those

of your who are unable to attend, let me

hear from you about how we might serve

your museum needs.

Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Executive Vice President

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

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4 DESIGN INFORM

For the past two and a half years, Indianapolis has

watched this community icon undergo a dynamictransformation. In an effort to enhance visitorlatitude and broaden community involvement, the IMAhas taken steps to provide improved facilities for boththe experience of art and art education for the public.

The $74 million project is the answer to seven years ofplanning and design focused upon the museum and thedirection that could be taken in the future. One of thefirst goals of site development was to open the museumto the street edge. This is occurring by enhancing theimage of the existing 38th Street entrance and adding a

The Art of Mu

The new Deer-Zink Events Pavilion will serve as host to

both public and private events.


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seum DesignIn 1883, May Wright Sewall, principal of the GirlsClassical School of Indianapolis, joined with 17 othercity residents to found what would later becomeknown as the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Her ideathat life in the city would be richer and morerewarding if there was an accessible collection of artto the public has stood for over a century and stillprevails through both the philosophy and futuredirection of the growing museum.

by Lacey M. Deal,

Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

The design of IMAs expansion makes the museum more

accessible to the public and gives the site a unified quality.

main entrance off Michigan Road. This will provide a more

welcoming view to the visitor, including a direct view to theLilly Oldfield Gardens and supported by a tree-lined alleeleading to the museum structures. As the visitor proceedstoward the museum, they will be met by new gardens anda redesigned landscape embracing the existing SutphinFountain.

The building design centers around three new structures,making the museum more accessible to the public andgiving the site a more unified quality. The new interior spacewill be expanded by 171,842 square feet, as well as 119,833square feet in renovated areas.

The design of the first structure stemmed from the

recognition of the need for an open and inviting entry tothe new museum. The Efroymson Entry Pavilion a two-story oval structure embodied through glass andstainless steel will become an outdoor space locatedinside the building. The Pavilion will serve as a transitionspace from the gardens outside to the display areaswithin. Located close to the Pavilion will be a restaurant,an enhanced museum store, restroom facilities and coatcheck. The structure itself incorporates a glass curtainwall system, stainless steel trusses and sunshades. Thecollaboration with Scottish engineer Tim MacFarlane, ofDewhurst MacFarlane and Partners, and other engineers,

The design of IMAs expansion makes the museum more

accessible to the public and gives the site a unified quality.


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led Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects to atruly unique solution for the Pavilion design.

Parking challenges are being addressed through theaddition of a new underground parking garagelocated below the great lawn and allee.Accommodating 250 spaces, garage users canaccess the museum and gardens through stairs,

escalators and elevators. The former parking garagebeneath the museum has now been transformed into

library, educational and art preparation spaces, aswell as administrative offices.

The second of the three new structures is the WoodGallery Pavilion. Where visitors were once met by animposing (and often intimidating) set of steps, theWood Gallery Pavilion will take shape to provide amore pleasing experience for guests. Both temporaryexhibits and the museums textiles and decorativearts collections will be housed in the gallery, whichadds 50 percent more gallery space to the oldmuseum. Also in this building will be the addition oftwo restaurants, including Pucks Fine Dining and aneighboring caf. A half wall will provide separationof the restaurants with the caf set slightly abovegrade to the restaurant. Pucks will overlook theexisting Sutphin Garden and Fountain and will offerpublic dining three nights a week after museumhours. The remaining four nights will allow for privateparties and gatherings.

The new Deer-Zink Events Pavilion, located on thenorth side of the Sutphin Garden and Fountain,becomes the third structural piece in the IMA design.

6 DESIGN INFORM

The new Efroymson Entry Pavilion incorporates a glass curtain

wall system, stainless steel trusses and sunshades.

Robert Indianas Numbers will be a landscape element on the IMAs lawn.


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It will serve as host to both publicand private events, housing abanquet facility with capacity for500 guests. This facility willallow large-scale events to takeplace on museum groundswithout disturbing normalmuseum operations.

Because the museum redesign

included a combination of both

building renovation and new

construction, it was important

to use similar materials, colors

and scales to physically and

a e s t h e t i c a ll y c o n n e c t t h e

existing architecture with new

site development. Materials

such as Indiana l imestone,

green l imestone, z inc and

s t a i n l e s s s t e e l a r e u s e d

throughout the museums

architecture.

One of the largest challengesfaced in planning pertained to theconstruction phasing of the

project. The museum hasremained open for nearly theentire duration of construction.Another area which neededconsideration was keeping roomtemperatures of 70 degreesFahrenheit and relative humidityat 50 percent within galleryspaces to maintain the propercondition of artwork.

The museum was closed to thepublic at the beginning of thisyear in final preparation for itsgrand opening in May. At thattime, it will serve as host to theAmerican Association ofMuseums Conference being heldin Indianapolis.

Jonathan R. Hess AIA is the Museum

Designer and Executive Vice

President at Browning Day Mull ins

Dierdorf Architect s. Barth D.

Hendr ickson ASLA, also with BDMD

Archi tects, was the LandscapeArchitect and is an Associate Partner

with the firm. Jon D. Hutslar was the

Site Designer for IMA. Jonathan,

Barth and Jon can be reached at

317.635.5030 or by email at

j r h e s s @ b d m d . c o m ,

bhendr [email protected] and

[email protected].

Pucks Fine Dining will offer public dining three nights a week with private parties and gatherings

on the remaining evenings.


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8 DESIGN INFORM

by Marnie M. Maxwell

Developing the Right Program Is

Essential to Successful Museum Design

Not so very long ago, a donor desiring recognition for his family asked a

science center, If I give you a lot of money, will you build a building and putmy name on it? Only after the museum had accepted the money and

designed and built most of the facility did anyone think to ask, What are we going

to put in this space? Unfortunately, the program was an extreme afterthought

which ended up costing the museum additional money to retrofit a brand-new

building in order to accommodate the program once it was developed.


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As nonprofit organizations, museums are reliant on working withother peoples money (in the form of philanthropic contributions)to maximize on the building projects they embark. Because theyhave an ethical obligation to be good stewards of the resourcesthey are given, museums must ensure that capital funds arespent wisely. The reality is that the dollars go further when theprogram and facility are developed together.

Childrens museums and science centers frequently provide twotypes of experiences that can have a significant impact on

building design. For example, water tables often are centerpieceelements that involve toddlers through middle school-agestudents in activities that help them build problem solving,observation and testing skills. Details such as sharing plumbingin the right space initially could help a museum create a morecost-efficient water experience in this area. Sand play activitiescan also help build the same types of skills but the dust theycreate can challenge an improperly designed HVAC system.

In addition to the actual educational content of exhibits,museums must think about who will be visiting exhibits and thetypes of spaces that may be required to support visitors. Somequestions that need to be asked in developing the museums

overall program include:

How long will people spend at the museum on a typical

visit? If the answer is more than two hours, food servicemight need to be planned as part of the overall experience.The type of food service could range from a room whereschool groups can consume sack lunches or vending areaswhere visitors can obtain snacks and drinks to limited pre-packaged offerings (such as pre-made sandwiches) and afood court or fine dining experience all of which can befound in todays museums.

What is the business model for successful operation?A boxoffice with queuing area and a museum store often figure intothe revenue equation.

What is free and what is part of the ticket price? Themuseum store, food service and restrooms are often timesdeveloped as part of a museums free zone outside of theticketed exhibit areas.

How many people will be coming and who are they?

Childrens museums that attract young visitors in greatnumbers often need small stools and sinks in restrooms toaccommodate their guests. Conversely, art museums maynot need to make this type of accommodation except,perhaps, in a school entrance/exit area. The number of visitorsimpacts the size and type of circulation spaces developed.

How will people arrive? Cars, school buses and publictransportation all create unique challenges in the design of afacility from unloading and parking to pulsing visitors into theexhibits.

Ultimately, there is no single right way to answer any question

regarding the overall program design. The mission and values ofthe museum and an institutional commitment to goodstewardship of other peoples money must guide programdesigners and architects in finding the appropriate answers fortheir museum design.

Marnie M. Maxwell is the President and CEO with Maxwell Associates, Inc.

in Indianapolis, Indiana. Marnie has worked with Browning Day Mullins

Dierdorf Architects on a variety of museum projects. You can reach Marnie

at 317.253.6212 or email at [email protected].


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10 DESIGN INFORM

Designing with the Seby Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA


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ses in Mind

The Indianapolis

Museum of Artssite plan enhances

the already popular

museum grounds.

It is important to understand the ingredientsfor success in differentiating yourorganization as a not-for-profit, program-

driven entity. Leaving a strong lastingimpression on people thereby encouragesfrequent return visits to your museum with theirfamilies and friends. Once travelers arrive atyour front door, the design thought given to that

arrival over months of mission-sensitiveplanning goes to work. Browning Day MullinsDierdorf Architects museum landscape and sitedesign focuses on creating a meaningful settingfor education and discovery that cause yourtargeted clientele to want to repeat theexperience. We aid in creating memories.

BDMD Architects approach to site and

landscape design is both an art and a science.

The landscape architects making up our

Landscape Architecture and Planning Studio

have varied experiences with cultural

institutions across the country. The key

ingredient in each project is to understand

why people will actually choose to experience

a place and then repeat that experience.

When BDMD Architects was in the analysisphase of master planning the IndianapolisMuseum of Art in 1997, feedback from surveyssuggested many people chose to visit themuseum property because of its park-likesetting. Despite being visually hidden by a busyintersection, many people still found thissecluded treasure. Why? Because the museumhad presence as a place for memory makingand discovery.

To expose the public to the museum propertyand the new $74 million dollar expansion ofroads, underground parking, paths, gardens andgalleries, visual connections were made to thepropertys interior. A new entrance wasdesigned to be materially sensitive to theOlmstead Brothers historic brick wall thatencloses the Lilly Gardens and Grounds, one ofthe three venues to experience at the IMA.Entering through this gateway, options to drivethe grounds unfold through a clear signage

package, and the landscape design opens andcloses views to limit revealing all visual treatssimultaneously.

BDMD Architects took what was great aboutthe three IMA venues and tied them togetherand, in some cases, expanded popular featuressuch as the Garden For Everyone. Thispopular garden, originally designed by ClaireBennett FASLA, was enhanced to arouse all the


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12 DESIGN INFORM

senses with diverse accessibility in mind. Paths need to bethought of as not just accessibile but an experience. Thesoft touch of a pubescent lambs ear leaf upon the handwhile moving past a raised bed evokes memories andpleasant thoughts that will tie this experience back to yourinstitution. The gurgling water in this garden encourages aperson want to sit back on a wood bench of their ownchoosing, close their eyes and give thought to things that

are usually overshadowed by busy daily routines.

The chosen media and subject of an artist are but anexpression of their longing to experience life moredeeplyto give it meaning. The discovery of detail in adesigned landscape has the power to evoke enoughemotion that a memory is made. Discovery and memorythat in turn are shared with others through another visit tothis place, your museum.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians

and Western ArtThe sidewalk approach in Indianas White River State Park

to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and WesternArt can be visually framed in a way that transports thevisitor far from downtown Indianapolis. Pennisetum and

The Herron School of Arts landscape and site design willserve as inspiration to the students creating art.

12 DESIGN INFORM

The great Greeting Indian Chief at the Eiteljorg Museum of AmericanIndians and Western Art helps move the visitor into the museum.


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Historic Restoration Feasibility Studies Facade Consulting

650 East Carmel Drive, Suite 150 Carmel, Indiana 46032

317.574.9409 FAX 317.574.9431 [email protected]

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Miscanthus grasses and Rudbeckiasoften the architecture in such a waythat a visitor cannot help butexperience a visual treat. Pushingand pulling the eye with color andtexture in the landscape is verymuch like the painters brushmoving around the canvas. In the

case above, we move the visitor tothe front door after a short pause topay homage to a great Indian chiefat the footsteps of the Museum.

Herron School of ArtBDMD Architects varied landscapeand site design styles suggest thatwe focus on bringing yourorganizations mission to life throughthoughtful and creative design. TheHerron School of Arts front doorplaza doubles as an extension to an

indoor gallery. On a warm day youcan walk barrier free to and fromthese areas. In the evening you cansee up-lit pieces of sculpture framedby a window into the gallery. Thesculpture pad outside was designedto allow students to display theirwork throughout the year. Anotherfeature of Herrons garden is thebold masses of colorful perennialsthat were selected to bloom whilestudents are present on campus,allowing different settings for

students to be their most creative.

Not all approaches to design takeinto consideration a creativeapplication of the organizationsmission and programs whenthinking about site and landscapedesign. Another approach to sitedesign is to simply move people andcars in and out of the site in a safeand utilitarian manner. The sidewalkapproach to the front door is nodifferent than that to a big box

retailer.

What drives your design and

capital expenditures Utility

or lifelong memory making?

Designing spaces that provide

ingredients toward pinnacles in

the human experience result in

frequent visitation to that place,

whatever the purpose for being

there.

The environments at your museumand what makes them successful arethe ingredients to the success of yoursite and landscape design. Museumsite design is about creating thesetting for thoughtful living, memorymaking, education and discovery thatmake your targeted clientele want to

repeatedly experience the place.Design elements include its historyand cultural context, natural functionand the client. The landscape andsite design fit into this framework.The mission of the client, coupledwith creative options for expandingoutdoor programming, has provensuccessful in exceeding our clientsexpectations of what visitors shouldtake away from their experience ofthe spaces surrounding structures.

Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA is the Director

of Landscape Architecture and an

Associate Partner with Browning Day

Mullins Dierdorf Architects. He can be

reached at 317-635-5030 or by email at

[email protected].

The renovatedgardens of the

IndianapolisMuseum of Artwill provide an

extension to themuseum

experience.


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14 DESIGN INFORM

HERRON SCHOOLOF ART

Designed to InspireYoung Artists

by David M. Long AIA, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

After sixty years as an independent art school,The Herron School of Art and Design became

a school of Indiana University in 1967. Twoyears later it became part of Indiana

University Purdue University of

Indianapolis, although its programsremained in several buildings offthe m a i n c a m p u s i n

downtown Indianapolis. Inf a l l 2 0 0 5 , w i t h t h e

completion of its newfacility, The Sidney and

Lois Eskenazi Hall,Herron will finally

come home andbecome part

of the IUPUIca m p us .

Clerestory

windows will

provide north

light on the

second floor and

a new central

corridor will link

studios and other

programmed

spaces to an

outdoor overlook

of a prominent

city park.


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The journey began in June 1999 whenBrowning Day Mullins DierdorfArchitects was selected to develop asignificant renovation and expansion ofthe former Indiana University LawSchool on the IUPUI campus, based onthe program developed by IndianaUniversity and Herron. BDMD Architectstransformed the existing structure bydesigning a new face for the old buildingand producing a unique and creative

image for Herron. The most dramaticelements of this image are the series ofrooftop, saw tooth monitors and alimestone arch framing the main entryand spanning 214 feet.

Following a significant fundraising effort,construction of Herrons new facility wasstarted in July 2003. When complete,Eskenazi Hall will contain 165,000square feet of area, tripling the amountavailable in the previous Herronbuildings. The facility will consolidate

Herrons classroom and studio locationsfrom six to two and will allow Herron tobecome a fully integrated member ofthe IUPUI community. Herron will alsoserve as the cultural link between thecampus and White River State Park,home of several other culturalinstitutions including the EitlejorgMuseum of American Indians andWestern Art and the Indiana StateMuseum.

Currently under construction, the new Herron School of Art has 70 studio and

academic spaces including painting and drawing studios, a furniture design

shop, and woodcut and printmaking studios.

Four gallery spaces have been provided within the

Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hall.


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16 DESIGN INFORM

The consolidation of Herrons programs in this building will allow forincreased interaction among departments, which was difficult inthe past due to the separation of programs among six facilities. Thisinteraction will expose students to new methods and techniquesand encourage creative collaborations. The consolidation of space

has also improved program adjacencies, which has allowed forsharing of utilities and services, such as the dust removal systemfor furniture design and the school shop, minimizing duplication ofsystems. Various disciplines within individual departments havebeen brought together in continuous studio areas, which willgreatly improve the professors ability to teach and interact withstudents without needing to travel to different floor levels orbuildings. In all, the new facility has 70 studio and academic spacesincluding painting and drawing studios, a furniture design shop andbench room and etching, woodcut and printmaking studios. Thephotography program has been expanded to include group

beginning and advanced darkrooms, individual color darkrooms,dedicated classrooms and a digital photography lab. Eachprogrammatic space has been carefully considered and designed

to provide appropriate space to support the formation of thecreative spirit.

A critical consideration in all art facilities is light. At Herron,

natural light is brought into the upper level studio spaces by a

series of north-oriented, rooftop monitors. The skylit studios

were designed with high ceilings to permit light to penetrate

into the space. These high spaces increase the openness of the

studios and accommodate the development of large art pieces.

In addition to the natural lighting, full-spectrum, color balancedartificial lighting is provided to maintain true color rendition. On thefirst level, studios requiring natural light were placed on the north

wall. Academic and support spaces for which natural light were notcritical were placed in the center of the building, but were providedwith high windows to borrow natural light from the northernstudios and corridors, where possible.

Within Eskenazi Hall, four gallery spaces have been provided. Theprimary gallery, adjacent to the two-story Grand Hall and lobby, hasbeen configured to function either as a single 3,300-square-footspace or three separate 1,100-square-foot galleries by the use ofmovable display walls. This flexibility allows for the customizationof the gallery space to accommodate exhibits of various sizes andmedia. In addition, a gallery dedicated to the display of studentwork has also been provided. This gallery will permit students to

display their work in a formal setting for the public and studentsfrom other academic programs on campus.

A 298-seat auditorium has been provided to serve as an academiclecture hall and to support Herrons community outreach programssuch as its Visiting Artist Lecture Series. This space has beenequipped with the infrastructure to allow use as a distance-learningclassroom in the future. Further supporting Herrons outreachmission are two multi-purpose studios for community educationprograms and Saturday-school classes in drawing, painting andceramics for children.

Natural light is brought intothe upper level studio

spaces by a series of north-

oriented, rooftop monitors.

Students and faculty are

greeted at the entrance

with a welcoming

curvilinear feature.


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With the ever-increasing interest incomputer-based art, computerstudios for sophomore, junior andsenior visual communicationprograms have been included.Individually powered workstationsare provided for each student.These stations are configured in

groups of four to facilitate teamprojects and collaborativedevelopment of solutions, muchlike in a typical design officeenvironment.

In anticipation of adding a Master ofFine Arts program as fundingallows, 5,000 square feet ofgraduate studio space has beenincluded in the building. The two,2,500-square-foot studios havebeen left open to permit flexibility inthe arrangement of the space toaccommodate graduate study invarious disciplines.

In addition to the dedicated areasnoted above, several other supportspaces for Herron and Universityprograms have been provided.These spaces include an 8,000-square-foot library, two dedicatedcritique spaces, a photographyshooting studio, computer clusterand on-site printing resource center.This resource center not only servesthe needs of the Herron studentsand faculty, but also providescustom printing and plottingservices to the public.

With the completion of Sidney andLois Eskenazi Hall, the HerronSchool of Art and Design will begina new chapter in its history ofproviding innovative and excellenteducation in the fine arts.

David M. Long AIA was the Project

Manager for this project and is anAssociate Partner at Browning Day

Mullins Dierdorf Architects. The

Project Designer was Jonathan R.

Hess AIA. David and Jonathan can

be reached at 317.635.5030 or

email at [email protected] and

[email protected].


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18 DESIGN INFORM

E I T E L J O R G E X P A N S I O N D E S I G N

Leads Museum toNew Opportunities

by Maya L. Laurent, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is the onlymuseum in the Midwest with extensive collections of both American Indianand American Western art. Harrison Eiteljorg, founder of the museum, grewhis collection by traveling all over the country and world to attend exhibitionsand competitions, visit museums devoted to Western art and to patronizegalleries specializing in the American West. He tried to meet as many of theartists as possible and gave encouragement and financial support to several

young artists. He found joy in the pursuit, discovery and acquisition ofpaintings and sculptures of the American West. His vast collectioncelebrates the romance of the historic West and the color, excitement andmystique of the contemporary cowboy and Indian life.


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20 DESIGN INFORM

Since 1989, the Eiteljorgs Southwestern pueblo-inspired buildinghas been a landmark architectural piece in Indianapolis WhiteRiver State Park Cultural District.

Following the success of working with Browning Day MullinsDierdorf Architects on the original museum project, the museumasked BDMD Architects to begin master planning for its future

growth. The master plan that was developed evolved into thecurrent expansion of the museum with educational spaces as adriving force behind this expansion.

The latest phase of the Eiteljorgs expansion is the addition

of 43,000 square feet of space comprised of new gallery

space, educational classrooms and a large interior sculpture

court immediately north of the original museum building.

Fifty percent more gallery space will be added including two new3,400-square-foot galleries. The 6,000-square-foot educationcenter will include two classrooms, a resource center and library,a technology studio and space for students to eat lunch. Acircular sculpture court will accommodate 300 people for musicand dance performances as well as films, lectures and dinners. A90-seat caf with a catering kitchen is also included in theexpansion.

This expansion was preceded by construction of an undergroundparking facility for approximately 200 automobiles below the frontyard of the museum and the creation of a new entry into thefacility from the parking system. The new entry utilizes similararchitectural forms and materials, providing an elegantconnection to the original museum building complete with asound system that begins to orient the visitor to the museumexperience.

The underground parking structure provided the challenge ofhow to welcome visitors to the museum. Landscape elementswill enable the visitors to feel welcome and drawn into themuseum and its outdoor spaces. The landscape designelements involve three acres of gardens and terraces leadingdown to the White River State Park Central Canal. Plazas to theeast and north of the building will feature a series of gardens andspaces that will allow the Eiteljorg to extend its programmingoutdoors. Among these spaces will be a discovery gardenfeaturing native plant materials along a curvilinear path and alarge, flexible festival space with permanent in-ground anchors topermit tenting during special events. Interpretive elementshighlighting Native American culture are designed into thepavement patterns and plazas. A stair and ramp system locatedalong the citys proposed cultural trail will provide the first fullyaccessible pedestrian entry to the Central Canal, which is 13 feetlower in elevation. At the canal level, visitors will enter the Eiteljorgsite through a ceremonial gate.

The expansion will be completed in late spring 2005.

Jonathan R. Hess AIA is the Project Designer and Barth D. Hendrickson

ASLA is the Site Landscape Architect. Both can be reached at Browning

Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects at 317-635-5030 or by email at

[email protected] or [email protected].

Details of the expansion were inspired by the existingSouthwestern pueblo-inspired building.

The Eiteljorgs landscape design elements involve three acres of gardens

and terraces leading down to the Historic Central Canal.

The Museum expansion includes new gallery space, classrooms, a

resource center and library, technology studio, caf and a circular

sculpture court.


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Museums have become spiritual buildings in oursociety. They are places to gather, relax, discover andfor many of us to find some aesthetic and spiritual

fulfillment. Lighting is an important component in museumdesign it can be thought of as an architectural material, thebridge that joins architecture and our eyes. Light is themessenger that communicates to us both the literal and thefigurative. It provides the most basic practical and literal vision of

a museum and at the same time creates the much lessdefinable sense of space and architecture.

Lighting must help a museum realize the vast range ofenvironments with attractions that range from paintings andsculptures but also whales, planets and microcomputerchips...from the most fragile Indian baskets to whimsical giantmobiles. Lighting design strategies for museums mustembrace these diverse uses while attending to the primary taskof creating a luminous environment for the seeing of art.Because museums vary in type, the techniques and solutionsrequired to illuminate them cover a broad spectrum.

Gallery lighting design discussions often center on the

quantity, color and filtration of the light and the harmfulness

of UV radiation. However, a more meaningful approach is to

develop a design strategy that is guided by the architectural

concepts, comprehensive feedback and input from the

museum staff. In this way, the luminous environment will be

designed from the outset to complement the architectural

ideas and help create the environment in which visitors will

view art and experience the spaces. Lighting is not

something that should be "glued onto the architecture." But

rather, it should be integral and enveloping, and it should be

about and intrinsic to the architecture.

Day lighting is almost always incorporated to some degree inthe design of a museum. The dynamic range of color andcapriciousness of daylight must be understood and appliedcarefully. The need for a controlled lighting environment forreasons of conservation, as well as vision and architecture,makes this one of the more challenging aspects in thedevelopment of a lighting design. The appropriate blending ofdaylight and electric light is an important aspect in daylightdesign for museums. These are issues that are best discussedand resolved early in the design process.

The lighting of museums is challenging and rewarding,especially in the end, when it all fits together in a perfect way thatought to takes one's breath away. And, although some of us

may not realize it, it is the light that makes us to come back formore - the light that connects the magnificence of art and of thearchitecture. We are very proud of our museum work inIndianapolis and, especially, of our 20-year collaboration withBDMD Architects.

Charles Stone II is Managing/Design Principal at Fisher Marantz Stone in

New York, New York. Charles has worked with Browning Day Mullins

Dierdorf Architects on several museum projects. Charles can be

reached at 212.691.3020 or by email at [email protected].

Museum Design

The Artof Lightingby Charles G. Stone II

FMSs lighting design of the American Museum of Natural Historys RoseCenter for Earth and Space is a prime example of how lighting can enhancea museums presence.

The exterior lighting of the Indianapolis Museum of Artwill highlight the architectural elements that make thisstructure unique.


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22 DESIGN INFORM

M U S E U M S T O R E D E S I G N

Enhances Institutions Missionby Andrew Andoniadis

One of the biggest challenges of museum design involves how to engage thevisitor in museum activity beyond attendance of exhibits. Some institutions take anapproach of providing additional services for their guests to encourage personalcontact with museum staff and enhance the overall museum experience for thevisitor. One such service that adds value to museums of any size and genre is themuseum store.

The design of the Childrens Museums retail store is playful and fun drawingthe visitors into the store for purchases.


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Museum stores play a substantial role in museumoperation in several ways. Through the store, themuseum visitor has the opportunity to prolong, inboth time and materials, the learning experiencebegun in the museum. A wide range of relatedproducts can tie the store directly to the mission ofthe museum and enhance continuing education forthe visitor. This meets one of the foremost goals of

every museum. If a patron visits the store before themuseums exhibits and is not surprised by what hesees in the exhibits, then the store has successfullyselected products that reflect the mission andcontent of the institution. The added advantage ofthis product-focused approach is that the museumstore is set apart from generic gift shops and gainsthe potential of developing into a genuine retaildestination.

Museum visitors often spend more time interactingwith store salespersons than any other museumpersonnel. In many instances, these store personnelbecome the human face of the museum. In addition,a visit to the museum store often grants a lastingimpression of the museum and thus takes on addedimportance.

In many small and medium sized museums, the store

provides critical revenue for museum programming.

This role as a financial catalyst further supports the

idea that special attention should be spent to design a

well-programmed museum store.

Museum retailing is a combination of art and science.The art is present in the layout and design of thestore, product selection decisions and the display andmerchandising of products. These are the factors thatmost directly affect the visitor. Calculated numbersgauging the reaction of the visitor to the retailpresence represent the science of museum retailing.These include financial calculations and themeasurement and evaluation of overall, individualproduct and product category sales.

A quick review of the layout and design of the storecan be made by evaluating how long the customerlingers when given time, how quickly the visitor on aschedule can find products of interest, the quality ofstore lighting, the pleasantness of the general

ambiance, the general condition of fixtures and theefficiency of the checkout process.

While some museum administrators may disagreewith the prominence of a few product categoriesbelow, the museum store customer has voted withtheir pocketbooks making these the categoriesthat best connect with the visitor. Individualmuseums can tailor their product selections in anyway but must realize the decisions have financial

impact. For example, a museum may only want to sellbooks, but that decision should be made with the fullrealization that it will probably limit revenue potentialand affect overall profitability.

In terms of revenue, books and jewelry are the mostpopular product categories. Books are situated at theheart of a museum store. It is this category that gives

specific and implied seriousness to the entire productselection. The book selection often signifies thedifference between a museum store and a gift shop.Mission-related jewelry is also a very popular productcategory with a wide range of retail prices that cangenerate significant revenue while utilizing minimalspace. Jewelry appeals to buyers of all ages for bothpersonal and gift purchases.

Other key items include paper products (excludingbooks), apparel, childrens products and activity kitsand proprietary products. Different museums will varyin store offerings depending on their mission, exhibitsand patrons to which they cater.

The museum store can provide positive rewards forboth the museum and its visitors. A good retailpresence enhances the image of the museum andfurthers continuing education while improving visitorsatisfaction and increasing discretionary revenue forthe museum.

Andrew Andoniadis is a retail consultant who has been

specializing in museum stores since 1991. He can be

reached at [email protected], through his website:

www.MuseumStoreConsult.com, at 503.629.9279 or at

booth #300 in the AAM exhibit hall in 2005.

Andrew Andoniadis was theretail consultant for the MortonArboretum gift shop.


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Designing an AwardWinning Hall of Fameby John M. Dierdorf AIA

24 DESIGN INFORM

The history of Indiana Basketball is remembered, celebrated and passed on for visitors to enjoy at this hall of fame.


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need appropriate lighting, descriptive information and preciseidentification. Key elements to consider are the design ofcasework, allowing proper access, flexibility for displaychanging and orientation of the cases.

Other areas can become fully interactive to allow hands-onparticipation through virtual reality technologies. These caninclude shooting a basketball for the last second winning

shot, experiencing what is it like to be on the football fieldwith a full stadium or making a goal line dive for a touchdown.There are many possibilities to consider. Virtual situations canbe created with technology that are highly exciting and allowthe average fan to experience the sport rather than simplywatch. This is a great way to promote a sport and to expandfan appreciation.

Fan support also provides options for retailing opportunitiesfor current sports attire, as well as memorabilia of past teamsor championship seasons, which are highly valued by fans.The opportunity to personalize a jersey with the fans name iseven in demand. Such items would require manpower toproduce and the location would need to be evaluated for on-going costs.

Another important factor to consider with your museum/hallis determining where it should be located and how large of aspace is needed. There are numerous locations that might beappropriate for a museum, such as at the stadium or arenaconcourses, in the student or alumni centers or even in therecreation center. Other locations to consider are dining hallsor libraries. The identifying goal is to find locations formaximizing on-campus student exposure and potential off-campus locations. These locations, taken in any combination,

allow multiple types of display, an increased appreciation forpast accomplishments and allow students and fans to fullyembrace the universitys history.

Other methods that provide flexible locations include bothpermanent and portable kiosks. Portable displays allow forcustomization to a specific event or sport as well as todevelop the athletic history of the campus, promote

upcoming events, sell tickets and assist with recruiting.

Many of the potential locations mentioned above speak to amuseum that is connected with other facilities. In certaininstances, consideration should be given to a stand-alonefacility. Recognition of major donors, significant athleticpersons or the overall athletic program may be rationalewarranting a separate building. One might suggest that thekiosk or mobile concept would also fit the stand-aloneconcept.

All of these details can help your hall of fame become a fullyfunctioning marketing machine for your athletic department,rather than thinking of the past as just statistics and old gear.While some of these ideas may be too expansive for anindividual school, there are ways to expand current facilitiesto bring more benefit to programs at smaller scales.

The traditional trophy case is considered a dinosaur and is

probably costing your athletic program money. The sports

museum or hall of fame should be viewed as a tool to

promote the university, celebrate past accomplishments

and allow the non-athlete to truly experience each sport.

Look to the past as a method to enhance the future of your

sports programs.

John M. Dierdorf AIA has provided design guidance to sports, fitness

and recreational facilities throughout the country. John is a partner atBrowning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects and can be reached at

317.635.5030 or by email at [email protected].

26 DESIGN INFORM

Fans can experience the

feeling of walking into a

high school basketball

arena at the Indiana

Basketball Hall of Fame.

At the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame items are physically displayed to

fully appreciate their quality, texture and condition.


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28 DESIGN INFORM

If one looks through the brown, wooden fencesand past the tobacco fields of northern Kentucky,they will stumble upon a history that marks the

legacy of one of the worlds premierpaleontological sites. Not far from Interstate 75,Big Bone Lick State Park in Union, Kentucky isrecognized by the scientific world as thebirthplace of American VertebratePaleontologythe study of prehistoric lifethrough fossil remains.

The site was first documented in 1739 when aFrench soldier discovered the areas fossilremains. Following a visit from MeriwetherLewis in 1803, President Jefferson would soonsend William Clark to lead an expedition in 1807.

Today, many museums around the worldshowcase the specimens found during Clarksexpedition and those who inevitably followed.However, few excavated specimens currentlyremain at the park in which they were unearthednearly 200 years ago.

Established in 1960, the 525-acre park hastraditional amenities, including a small herd ofbuffalo. Visitors can also walk along a discoverytrail that features a diorama depicting the demise

of early mammals during the Ice Age. Celebratingthe areas history of salt production in the late1700s and early 1800s, an annual festival

additionally attracts thousands of visitors to thepark during one weekend in the fall. The park alsoboasts the distinction of being one of the fewsites east of the Mississippi River on the Lewisand Clark Heritage Trail.

In August 2001, the Department of Parks for theCommonwealth of Kentucky began to develop themaster plan for a museum and welcome center atBig Bone Lick State Park. To develop the masterplan, the department selected the design team ofBrowning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects(architecture and landscape architecture); GRW

Engineers, Inc. (structural, electrical andmechanical engineering) and Hall-HarmonEngineers (civil engineering).

The master plan incorporated programming thathad been established in a previouslycommissioned interpretive master plan, includingadditional items developed during the process.Under the budget allocated by the legislature ofthe Commonwealth, the master plan outlinedPhase One for the museum and welcome center.

Visitor Center Enhances HistoricalSignificance at Big Bone Lick State Parkby Stephen A. Hoersten

The Center has a long, curvilinear wall that greets visitors and guides

them through the parking area to the main entry.

A small, arced canopy with copper

fascia provides cover at the main entry.


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Totaling approximately 20,000 square feet, theprogram establishes office space for staffmembers housed in the maintenance area, anew gift shop and its related support space,curatorial space, educational program space,an orientation theater, exhibit space and othernecessary support facilities. The site alsoincludes 160 parking spaces, including a smallportion allowing bus access.

In addition to the new development, the master plan

had to incorporate a series of previously completedimprovements on the site. The pre-existingimprovements included a trailhead at the start of theDiscovery Trail, a proposed amphitheater alreadygraded on the site and the Ice Age diorama. Slopinggreatly across the site, the areas topography onlyoffered a small, flat portion of land, which was beingused for existing parking and access to the gift shopand exhibits.

Phase Ones final plan included 970 square feet ofadministrative area, 945 square feet of retail space,1,225 square feet of exhibit space and support

spaceall within a 4,392 square foot facility. The largeexhibit space includes built-in display cases and a newexhibit case for the museums prized specimen - a six-foot long mastodon skull.

The building has a long, curvilinear wall that greets

visitors and guides them through the parking area to

the main entry. The building is nested in the hillside

to reduce its size when one is approaching the

entrance. Native paintings also adorn the wall to

help the building blend into the surroundings. Placed

in relationship to the existing trailhead, the building

also serves as a backdrop for the diorama. Windows

in the back of the building allow staff and visitors to

view the diorama from the gift shop and office areas.

To parallel northern Kentuckys environment, theexterior palette of materials was chosen torepresent the countryside that visitors view whiletraveling to the park. Responding to the areasmany tobacco farms and typical wood fencing,horizontal wood siding was stained a dark,

tobacco barn black-brown, including a copperfascia. Locally quarried limestone, also used onlocal residences and site walls, comprises thewall at the main entrance. In addition to producinga locally authentic look, the materials also do notvisually detract from the natural beauty of thesurrounding park.

The Department of Parks took possession of theirnew facility in July 2004. With a great amount ofcelebration and fanfare on November 18, 2004,supporters of the park and museum dedicated theWelcome Center/Museum Phase Onewhile at the

same time greatly anticipating the completion of theirdream in Phase Two.

Stephen A. Hoersten is a Project Manager at Browning Day

Mullins Dierdorf Architects. The Principal-in-Charge and

Project Designer for Big Bone Lick State Park was Jonathan

R. Hess AIA. Stephen and Jonathan can be reached at

317.635.5030 or email at [email protected] and

[email protected].

The exterior palette of materials was chosen to represent the

countryside that visitors view while traveling to the park.

The exterior palette of materials was chosen to represent the

countryside that visitors view while traveling to the park.


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Even the most prestigious institutions are discoveringconsiderable untapped net income from renting their facilities tooutside groups. Yes, just about everybody rents out facilities, inalmost every case providing food and beverage catering. Butmany, if not most, institutions are seeing merely a fraction of thepotential income.

Catering is normally handled one of several ways. In most cases,a list of preferred or approved caterers are used in institutions,with some cases taking on an exclusive caterer that provides allfood and beverage services. Another option involves an openpolicy whereby any caterer that meets certain minimuminstitution criteria (certificate of insurance, pay a fee, etc.) canprovide the service.

The following case study looks at the profitable results ofinstituting an Approved Caterer Program.

Case Study: Improved RFP Process Grows Net Income 250%

in Five Years

This museum has a facility which has become a very popularvenue for outside groups and organizations to stage events. In1997, this museum conducted both a comprehensiveevaluation of its special event department and a review of its

preferred caterer program, with the goal of optimizing earnedincome by shortening the list of caterers.

The museum had 16 catering companies, each paying a $600flat fee, on its preferred list. Other similar institutions in this cityhad not tried this short list approach and there was concern thata short list might reduce net income because fewer catererscould bring business (clients) to the museum. Museummanagement believed in the concept and conducted a Requestfor Proposal (RFP) process with the goal to shrink the caterer list

30 DESIGN INFORM

Cultural Institutions Discover AddedFacility Rental Incomeby Arthur M. Manask

The Childrens Museums caf area provides visiting schools and patrons with an area to enjoy foods from the kitchen and sack lunches they may bring.


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in half. As part of the RFP process eachcaterer was required to do severalthings. Examples included providingannual donations, hosting public

relations events and guaranteeingmuseum minimum dollar amounts.

The result of this RFP process enabledthe museum to select a total of eightcaterers representing a true cross-section of menu variety, pricing, qualityand other factors allowing any internal(museum department) or external clientto find a caterer in the list that met theclients needs and budget. In 2003,after a three-year period, this processwas again followed to reduce 1caterer

list down to five or six caterers.

Why did this museums net incomegrow with this Approved CatererProgram? Following are some of thekey reasons:

As part of the RFP selection process,the museum looked carefully atwhich caterers brought clients to themuseum versus those that servedmerely as names on the list.

A review of historical catering activityat the museum indicated that lessthan six caterers hosted 80%+ ofthe events in any category (as is truewith most cultural institutions).

The caterers offered a minimumannual dollar commission whichmeant they had to be fundamental inbringing business to the museum,instead of relying on the museum forreferrals.

By concentrating 100% of thecatering revenues with fewercaterers, this made for a moreprofitable short list, thus enabling the

museum to receive more net dollarsin return. Motivated caterers with excellent

sales organizations increased theinstitutions facility rental income aswell as their own commissions.

Competition provided the museumdiscounts on internal catering andoutright donations that were notreceived before.

The caterers are contributing to amarketing/advertising fund; dollarsthe museum did not have in its

budget before this program was putin place.

Arthur Manask is President and CEO of

Arthur M. Manask & Associates in Burbank,

California. Arthur has worked with Browning

Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects on a variety

of museum projects. Arthur can be reached

at 818.557.0635 or by email at

[email protected].

The IMAs new caf will provide patrons with

new dining options.

The food service area enables the Childrens Museum to

have additional income revenue.


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