20th Century Public Space - Essay Example

? 20th Century Public Space List of Figures Figure Courtyard of Montagu House, Bloomsbury, 1754………………………….…….Page 3 Figure 2 Smirke Building……………..……………………………………….……………Page 5 Figure 3 King’s Library………………………..……………………………………………Page 6 Figure 4 The Great Court at the British Museum Designed by Norman Foster…..………..Page 8 Introduction Public spaces are critical components of urban areas. According to Worpole public spaces are any areas that are open and accessible to people (p. 3). This may include roads, public arenas, government buildings, libraries museums among other structures. It is imperative to note that the public spaces include outdoor and indoor spaces. Historically, pubic spaces were used by people for social, economic and even political purposes. Thus, these places played an integral role in building the social and cultural relationships among the people in a particular area. In the United Kingdom, urban areas have incorporated public spaces as an essential element of urban planning for centuries. In Europe, most cities took a functional approach towards the design public spaces whereby there existed several kinds of public spaces with different functions and symbolism (Hamnett & Noam 223). The functional approach of architectural design was favored due to the specialization of the cities. For instance, factors such as traffic, politics, social contrasts and productivity became critical considerations in the selection of the kind of public space appropriate for a particular area. It is evident that planning and design of public spaces has to that the spaces facilitates easy and meaningful interactions of people. Suffice to say, public spaces in buildings such as churches have to architectural designed to handle large numbers of people with various needs and demands. LondonMuseum One of the most notable public spaces in the history of Europe is the museum. Museums can be basically defined as places where objects of cultural or historical significance are exhibited. Notably, museums are repositories for historical artifacts that are of value for future generations in order to allow interested people to view. The first public museum in Britain was opened in 1753 in London (Duncan 279).This was the first national public museum in the globe and it was the brainchild of Sir Hans Sloane. The British Museum was officially established through an Act of Parliament and it was first housed in a seventeenth century mansion in Bloomsbury London called Montagu House. Over the centuries, the buildings housing the British Museum have changed the museum has remained in its original location. Figure 1 Courtyard of Montagu House, Bloomsbury, 1754. (Worpole 175) After its opening in 1753, the museum grew in stature and the number of collections. Initially, the Museum had approximately seventy one thousand collections which were contributed by the Sir Hans Sloane. The huge number of new collections naturally meant that the Museum had outgrown the original building in which it was housed. This prompted the first expansion programme that laid the foundations for the present structure that houses the British Museum. In 1823, the trustees of the British Museum commissioned a renowned architect Sir Robert Smirke to construct the new buildings. The construction of the new building was necessitated by the fact that the Museum had received the gift of King George IV’s father’s library and there was no space to add more book shelves in the Museum. Robert Smirke was a follower of the Greek Revival movement of architecture and endeavored to use this architectural design principle in the construction of the building. According to the Greek Revival movement, it was appropriate for buildings to have simplicity and the classical look of the Greek architecture (Hamnett & Noam 225). The design concept for the Smirke building originated from the ancient Greek temples. Smirke felt that a Museum should have the look and feel of Greek temples so as to be able to entice its visitors. In this regard, Smirke used Grecian pillars to line the colonnade of the Museum building and created a central courtyard. The porticos of the building faced the central courtyard and this added a neo classical look to the structure. Smirke designed the entire structure based on the concept of a quadrangle that was initially built on the garden of the Montagu House which housed the Museum. The works for the design and construction of the Reading Room began 1854. The Reading Room was a circular domed area that was surrounded by book stack. The construction of this room and other three wings was eventually completed in 1857. The final structure lay on a two acre quadrangle shaped courtyard. Figure 2 Smirke Building (Duncan 280) Further to his Greek Movement style, Smirke used classical Greek style furniture in the interior of the new building. The seats were designed to be simple and sufficiently long so as to accommodate several people (Hamnett & Noam 221). The furniture in the Smirke building was also elegant but not very comfortable for a person to sit on for long periods. It is imperative to note that the need to house the books donated by King George IV was one of the main reasons for the construction of the new building for the museum. Therefore, the room to house the King’s library was the first to be built by Robert Smirke. The King’s Library was housed in a room that was constructed between 1823 and 1827. The iron beams of the room were supported by cast iron beams. It had two entrances on either side of the room and twelve desks meant for the use of the Museum officials. As noted, the desks were designed in Greek style that emphasized on simplicity and elegancy. Four columns that were constructed from Aberdeen granite adorned the central section of the King’s Library. Figure 3 King’s Library (Duncan 281) The twentieth century saw a marked increase in the provision of public services. The British Museums underwent a series of building works that added new structures in order to meet the increased number of people that it had to serve (Duncan 284). Between 1939 and 1962, the Doveen Gallery was built to house the new collections that had been added to Museum. In early 1970s, the ethnography department of the Museum moved out to become the British Library. This created the much needed additional space and all the structures in the quadrangle were cleared leaving only the Reading Room. The restructuring of the British Museum blended both the new and the old architectural styles of architecture in order to create an appealing structure. The Reading Room was expanded and fitted with additional furniture based on the classical Greek style pioneered by Smirke. Perhaps the greatest architectural overhaul of the British Museum in the twentieth century occurred when Queen Elizabeth II Great Court was constructed. Foster and Partners architects were commissioned to undertake the works of renovating the Reading Room and the courtyard. According to their brief, the architects were required to eliminate the bookshelves that were present in the reading room. Also, the architects were charged with responsibility of turning the plain courtyard into an inviting public space. In the original design of the Reading Room, its walls were made of brick since they remained hidden form an outside view (Scott 2008). In the redesign by Foster and Partners Architects, the Reading Room’s walls were given an uplift so as to be of the same outlook with the walls of the courtyard. The interior of the Reading Room was restored to its original Victorian style with an elaborate decorative scheme. The room was revitalized with a color scheme of gold, azure and cream that made it to be visually appealing yet cool. This interior design made the room to appropriate for the public and it was reopened as a public reference library. Broad staircases made of stone encircle the Reading Room and they create access to the two galleries that were added to the Reading Room. Suffice to say, the staircases stand out in a grand manner and are a compelling spectacle to the visitors of the Museum. The roof that covers the quadrangle is one of the most attractive aspects of the British Museum. In fact, the striking steel roof that covers the entire two acre quadrangle creates the largest public interior space in the globe. The roof was constructed in such a manner that it would create an elegant canopy without the need to add columns in the courtyard to support the structure. This in effect resulted in a simple but stunning geometric form that redefined the entire British Museum. The lack of obtrusive columns to support the roof made the interior space to have a neat and elegant look. The interior space was also lightened up by the restoration of the previously filled Venetian windows. Glass panels that grace the Venetian windows open up the courtyard and increase the illusion of space in the Museum. Figure 4 Great Court at the British Museum Designed by Norman Foster (Hamnett &Noam 230) Social aspects of the interior design of the British Museum Public spaces have a critical social role of facilitating the interaction of people with others or with the environment (Duncan 282). One of the key issues in regards to the social aspects of the British Museum is accessibility. A museum is inherently a public interior space that should easily facilitate the circulation of people in an easy and intuitive manner. Interior movement in space and time are key elements towards the creation a socially satisfying experience among the visitors of the museum. In essence, interior circulation defines how the visitors experiences the three dimensional aspects of a building as they move their bodies with consideration space, time and sequence. The British Museum’s interior design lay emphasis on the aspect of circulation. In order to facilitate horizontal movements, there is a lot of empty space throughout the building. The exhibitions are arranged in a non intrusive manner and the visitor can easily walk around the floor while viewing the exhibited artworks. The large open space is essential to allow for flow of movement and circulation of the visitors as they sample the various pieces of art on display. Various sections of the Museum are accessible through elaborate verandahs, lobbies and foyers that together create ease of circulation. It is important to note that the time that a visitor uses to move from one point to another within a Museum should be minimized and the activity made to be interesting (Hamnett & Noam 233). In this regard, the British Museum interior space is designed in such a manner that there are exhibitions as the visitor moves around in the horizontal space. Further, vertical circulation in the Museum is facilitated by escalators and lifts that are placed strategically in the building. Ramps and staircases are also constructed in the interior of the building thus making it possible for a person to move from one floor to another. For instance, the grand stone staircases in the Reading Room can be used for accessing the upper floor where there are several exhibitions. The presence of shops and restaurants is an important factor in ensuring that a public space can effectively meet the needs of its visitors. Public spaces inevitably require the existence of other support services so as to effectively serve the needs of the people that visit the place (Duncan 285). In the Grand Roof renovation of the British Museum, the Reading Room was modified to include a shop and a restaurant on the far ends. These social amenities were added to British Museum in subtle way in order to blend in with the general experience that a visitor has in the Museum. The social amenities are conveniently located at approximately the center of the Museum thus making them very accessible and useful. The interior design of a public space has to take into consideration the issue of lighting. Suffice to say, lighting is very critical especially in the context of a Museum. It is imperative that people go to Museums in order to view historical, scientific and other pieces of art that are of interest. Without effective lighting, this would be an exercise in futility. The British Museum’s interior space was redesigned in such a manner that it would be able to take advantage of natural lighting during the day. The large Venetian windows were restored and they are covered with clear glass so as to allow for maximum light during the day. The glass windows give the illusion of a larger social space and facilitate easy viewing of the pieces of art in the galleries. It is imperative to note that lighting is required in moderation especially for pieces of art that are sensitive to lighting. The natural lighting in the British Museum is directed mostly to the public areas where it is most required. Also, the lattice steel roof in the Great Court serves the dual function of covering the visitors from rain scorching sunshine while also allowing some light through albeit in a smaller scale. Public spaces are also important avenues for social learning and conditioning. Social interactions occur in public spaces and this is where people form their own perceptions about the happenings in the society (Hamnett & Noam 235). The interior space of the British Museum is designed in a way that promotes easy interaction among all the visitors and also fosters cooperation. It is imperative to note that the British Museum operates under the principle that it freely admits all the members of the public who are interested with sampling the collections that it has. All the sections and galleries within the Museum are freely accessible with no unnecessary restrictions in terms of design. As noted, the various sections of the British Museum are interlinked in order to provide a satisfying experience to the visitor. Technological aspects of the interior space of the British Museum The interior design and construction of the British Museum utilized technology in order to improve the conditions of the building. Internal temperature control is a critical issue in any public or private space (Hamnett & Noam 236). In the original design of the Reading Room, air was drawn over heated pipes through brick ducts on the floor. The redesign of the building which involved the removal of the book stack ostensibly affected the internal environment of the building. In order to ensure the building had proper heating, a temperature and humidity control system is installed in the building. This is in cognizance of the fact that the wooden paneling in the interior of the Museum may be adversely affected by high humidity. A common pipe system in the slabs of the Great Court is used to regulate cooling and heating in the Great Court. The use of specially treated glass in the Great Court helps to reduce solar irradiation. A balustrade is used to bring displacement ventilation to the restaurant that is situated on the mezzanine floor that overlooks the Great Court. It is imperative that the use of glass in the construction of the glass roof has helped to reduce the heat loss of the building significantly. The fritted glass minimizes the amount of light that can reach sensitive artworks that require to be protected from excessive light (Hamnett & Noam 236). The foyer and seminary rooms that are located below the excavated space under the Great Court are specially controlled through a dedicated air conditioning system. Further, the interior space of the British Museum has adopted various technological gadgets such as closed circuit television cameras and sophisticated monitoring systems to control the activities within the building. Security is an important aspect in the design of interior public spaces especially due to the threat of terrorism. The interior space has technologically advanced safety control devices such fire alarms cover the entire building. Bibliography Duncan, C 1994, ‘Art museums and the ritual of citizenship’, Interpreting Objects and Collections (1994): 279-286. Forgan, S 1994, "The architecture of display: museums, universities and objects in nineteenth-century Britain." History of science 32 (1994): 139-162. Hamnett, C, and Noam, S 2008, ‘Museums as flagships of urban development’, Cities and visitors: Regulating people, markets, and city space (2008): 219-236. Scott, F, 2008, On Altering Architecture, Routledge, London Worpole, K 2000, Here Comes the Sun: architecture and public space in twentieth-century European culture. Reaktion Books. Read More