New museums: intentions, expectations, challenges

Abstract

The past decade was characterised by a real museum boom which persists today. Throughout the world museums have been built that are as unique as the art they contain, and the process continues. This volume assembles approximately 15 of these museums, designed and realised by the who's who of the architect scene. The architecture of the museums is an artwork in itself. They include buildings such as the Changsha Meixihu International Culture & Art Centre designed by Zaha Hadid and the Zeitz Museum for contemporary African art in Cape Town. With designs that extend from exciting to dynamic to sensuously beautiful the architects have created places of encounter, communication and inspiration which make the world of art accessible to visitors in ways that are not always mapped out by curators. The volume shows magnificent photographs and documents through drawings the development of the buildings as well as the challenges of architecture today.

Contents

The idea of the open museum: history and problems / Wolfgang Ullrich -- Why bother? or, the rise of the private museum / Chris Dercon -- Image and life: museum architecture, social sustainability and design for creative lives / Suzanne MacLeod -- Museum buildings of the 21st century: major projects and notes of the redefinition of the museum / Karen van den Berg -- The museum, a building in and for the city: an exploration from a spatial point of view / Kali Tzortzi.