Museums have long been an institution of preservation and the collection of objects, art, and curiosities. Items safely stored and displayed for the public to look at, never changing. As a child seeing and learning about a museum’s objects for the first time is thrilling. However over time that thrill fades and what was once magical in the eyes of our five year old self is now lackluster and monotonous. As adults we cease to visit that museum we loved as a child. Why would we? Nothing has changed, there is nothing new. There is something special about the nostalgia of that feeling when you were five and first saw an exhibit that opened your eyes to another world. The traditional museum is still the foundation of museums in the 21st century and adapting to the new museum typology (the post-museum) is inevitable for continued success, but can it be both a traditional and a post-museum? With new technologies and research in the field of museums and how people learn in them there has been a shift in what it is and should be to its visitors. This practicum project aims to address the shift of the interiors and exhibits in museums of the 21st century. Many factors contribute to the changing of the museum; its design, exhibits, and social construct have all been adjusted to create more inclusive experiences. Through the examination of tourism, community, post-museums and exhibition design this practicum project aims to provide a balance between the traditional and post-museum typology. The result is a stronger connection with the local community and an enriching experience for museum goers. / February 2017

This dissertation explores popular culture-related themed space exhibitions and immersive museum pedagogy through the emerging post-museum, media convergence culture, and Deborah L. Perry’s museum-oriented “What Makes Learning Fun” framework. These exhibitions utilize popular media like Star Wars, Doctor Who, and the films of Hayao Miyazaki as a means of engaging audiences with brand and subject-specific pedagogy. By bringing fictional worlds to life through environmental stimuli (sets, sounds, objects, media segments), these exhibitions use popular texts as a means of facilitating the educational goals of the institution by having visitors engage in “work as play.” Learning becomes encompassed in the “fun” and “play” that is experienced with theme parks and games. Oftentimes educational programs are developed for these exhibitions that are frequently tied to specific national and regional educational requirements. In the post-museum, visitors are assigned interpretive powers where meaning is produced through their own personal experience. As Eilean Hooper-Greenhill argues, the use of visual media helps transcend usual classifications of high and low culture. This study argues that fandom within a themed space exhibition enhances this aspect, and the act of play enhances visitor interpretation. These key issues are examined through three main examples: The Doctor Who Experience (addressing public service vs. corporate profits), Star Wars Identities: The Exhibition (roleplaying as pedagogy and Alberta, Canada’s CALM program), and the Ghibli Museum (Japanese history, national identity, and self-discovery). These exhibits act as sites where the tension between branding and pedagogy operate, and illustrate how popular texts and education are localized for different audiences. The close examination of these themed spaces leads to a better understanding of contemporary media culture and its social/cultural applications on an international scale.

The exploration of emerging trends in museum design and theory informs a redefined spatial realm for the design of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHCWC). The JHCWC has been forced to respond to a growing immaterial culture as a result of the current digital revolution. As an institution they have experienced amalgamation and re-location, which has drastically reduced the exhibition and museum space at the Asper Jewish Community Campus. The design will explore a new museum paradigm that is facing technological and digital advancements. Through the exploration of the effects of a virtual culture, the dematerialization of the physical realm can become redefined with the introduction of new digital technologies and interfaces. The proposed design project explores the potentials of a hybrid space, where the virtual and physical spaces interact and come together. The project will also challenge traditional museum assumptions, while creating immersive and participatory experiences. A new spatial coding provides a narrative and representation of culture that is integrated throughout the museum. A spatial typology emerges that suggests inventive experiences of history, culture, heritage and tradition.

Artistic outlets act as mechanisms with the potential to provide transformative effects on a psychological, emotional, and physical level. Unfortunately, barriers such as inequality (Erickson, 2008, p. 345) and the economic initiatives of art institutions have provoked the emergence of boundaries, hindering the opportunities and desire to engage (p. 345; Tepper, 2008, p. 363, 368). This practicum project responds to these obstructions by presenting an artistic institution that expands access to the art-form of dance by celebrating individual expression, collaboration, and cultural heritage. The Collaborative Dance Centre embraces the notion of a participatory culture and artist collective by breaking down hierarchal structures to present the general public and amateur artists with the opportunity to engage with the professional dance realm (Jenkins & Bertozzi, 2008, p. 174; Cotter, 2006, p. 21). These notions allow participants to gain exposure to the technical aspects associated with each genre, as well as the various elements of performance. By exploring experiential learning, and post-museum theory this practicum presents an interior that repositions boundaries to encourage participants to engage in experiences that are often restricted from the general public and amateur artists (Brooks-Harris & Stock-Ward, 1999, p. 122-124; Bruce, 2006, p129). The intricacies of dance have also been used to direct design development by employing the ingredients of choreography to guide design principles and elements (Humphrey, 1983, p. 46). The resulting interior connects people from diverse backgrounds through the act of dance stimulating growth, passion and transformation.

This project involved the adaptive reuse of Maw Garage at 112 King Street. The building was transformed into an interpretive centre for Winnipeg’s Exchange District. As museums are faced with challenges of being relevant in today’s context, museum planners have started to shift their attention toward new approaches for the design of these environments. The purpose of this project was to investigate the evolving nature of the museum, and to determine how its role in society could be modified to better accommodate its audience’s needs. Society’s understanding of heritage in regard to the way we interpret, relate to, and connect with objects, each other, and environments has changed. A thorough review of literature resulted in a broad understanding of post-museum, constructivist learning, and public space theories. Combined with knowledge gained from the analysis of three precedents and programming, these theories enabled the development of a contemporary museum that challenges stereotypical ideas of the museum. This design proposal illustrates one possible way in which post-museum, constructivist learning, and public space theories could be used to design a new museum. Although the solution presented here is specific to Winnipeg’s Exchange District and the Heritage Winnipeg client, conceivably, the same theories could be used to design interpretive centres elsewhere in North America.

This project involved the adaptive reuse of Maw Garage at 112 King Street. The building was transformed into an interpretive centre for Winnipeg’s Exchange District. As museums are faced with challenges of being relevant in today’s context, museum planners have started to shift their attention toward new approaches for the design of these environments. The purpose of this project was to investigate the evolving nature of the museum, and to determine how its role in society could be modified to better accommodate its audience’s needs. Society’s understanding of heritage in regard to the way we interpret, relate to, and connect with objects, each other, and environments has changed. A thorough review of literature resulted in a broad understanding of post-museum, constructivist learning, and public space theories. Combined with knowledge gained from the analysis of three precedents and programming, these theories enabled the development of a contemporary museum that challenges stereotypical ideas of the museum. This design proposal illustrates one possible way in which post-museum, constructivist learning, and public space theories could be used to design a new museum. Although the solution presented here is specific to Winnipeg’s Exchange District and the Heritage Winnipeg client, conceivably, the same theories could be used to design interpretive centres elsewhere in North America.

The exploration of emerging trends in museum design and theory informs a redefined spatial realm for the design of the Jewish Heritage Centre of Western Canada (JHCWC). The JHCWC has been forced to respond to a growing immaterial culture as a result of the current digital revolution. As an institution they have experienced amalgamation and re-location, which has drastically reduced the exhibition and museum space at the Asper Jewish Community Campus. The design will explore a new museum paradigm that is facing technological and digital advancements. Through the exploration of the effects of a virtual culture, the dematerialization of the physical realm can become redefined with the introduction of new digital technologies and interfaces. The proposed design project explores the potentials of a hybrid space, where the virtual and physical spaces interact and come together. The project will also challenge traditional museum assumptions, while creating immersive and participatory experiences. A new spatial coding provides a narrative and representation of culture that is integrated throughout the museum. A spatial typology emerges that suggests inventive experiences of history, culture, heritage and tradition.

Artistic outlets act as mechanisms with the potential to provide transformative effects on a psychological, emotional, and physical level. Unfortunately, barriers such as inequality (Erickson, 2008, p. 345) and the economic initiatives of art institutions have provoked the emergence of boundaries, hindering the opportunities and desire to engage (p. 345; Tepper, 2008, p. 363, 368). This practicum project responds to these obstructions by presenting an artistic institution that expands access to the art-form of dance by celebrating individual expression, collaboration, and cultural heritage. The Collaborative Dance Centre embraces the notion of a participatory culture and artist collective by breaking down hierarchal structures to present the general public and amateur artists with the opportunity to engage with the professional dance realm (Jenkins & Bertozzi, 2008, p. 174; Cotter, 2006, p. 21). These notions allow participants to gain exposure to the technical aspects associated with each genre, as well as the various elements of performance. By exploring experiential learning, and post-museum theory this practicum presents an interior that repositions boundaries to encourage participants to engage in experiences that are often restricted from the general public and amateur artists (Brooks-Harris & Stock-Ward, 1999, p. 122-124; Bruce, 2006, p129). The intricacies of dance have also been used to direct design development by employing the ingredients of choreography to guide design principles and elements (Humphrey, 1983, p. 46). The resulting interior connects people from diverse backgrounds through the act of dance stimulating growth, passion and transformation.

This interior design practicum investigates how narratives linked to the St-Boniface Fire Hall No.1, located in Winnipeg, can inform its adaptive reuse. Its oral history gathered in part through interviewing past users is spacialized into a physical realm. Narratives are translated into design elements by utilizing the creative process and analytical framework of the concept of mise en scène. Stories are analyzed and given structure through narratology as a theoretical approach. Post-Museum theory joined the concept of mise en scène by encouraging the visitors to become part of a living museum through sharing stories, thus becoming performers themselves. By utilizing narratives as a foundation, the interior weaves the existing heritage structure with new design interventions, therefore preserving the unique character of the building and incorporating its neighboring francophone community. The resulting design solution manifests itself as a mixed typology including a brewpub, an artist in residence studio and, a living museum.

This interior design practicum investigates how narratives linked to the St-Boniface Fire Hall No.1, located in Winnipeg, can inform its adaptive reuse. Its oral history gathered in part through interviewing past users is spacialized into a physical realm. Narratives are translated into design elements by utilizing the creative process and analytical framework of the concept of mise en scène. Stories are analyzed and given structure through narratology as a theoretical approach. Post-Museum theory joined the concept of mise en scène by encouraging the visitors to become part of a living museum through sharing stories, thus becoming performers themselves. By utilizing narratives as a foundation, the interior weaves the existing heritage structure with new design interventions, therefore preserving the unique character of the building and incorporating its neighboring francophone community. The resulting design solution manifests itself as a mixed typology including a brewpub, an artist in residence studio and, a living museum.