Architecture, narrative

and promenade in
Sophia Psarra and
Benson + Forsyth's
TadeuszGrajewski Museum of Scotland
Authors' addresses Interaction between the contents and the architecture lies at the
The Welsh School of Architecture
Bute Building heart of the Museum of Scotland's presentation of the story of the
King Edward VII Avenue
Cardiff CF13NB
land and its people. The design accordingly raises questions
UK concerning the relation between architecture, the viewer and the
educational message. Space syntax techniques suggest that this
relation is based on a configurational logic combining informality
and a clear structure. This study also examines the curatorial
interpretation of the collections and demonstrates that the building
forms a coherent setting for objects and exhibition themes.

"With fictional universes, we know without a doubt that they Although joined, the two buildings are examples of
do have a message and that an authorial entity stands different museum worlds. In the older museum,
behind them as creator, as well as within them as a set of objects are set against neutral galleries. In the newer,
reading instructions' (Eco, 1995). they are integrated in the building design: this is
most evident in the upper floors where engines and
The Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh, designed by steam boilers have interactive positions in both a
Benson + Forsyth [Figs. 1 and 2], was opened in columned area and in a cascade of overlooking
December 1998 and has attracted much interest ever spaces [Fig 3].
since. One critic, Richard Murphy, has suggested that The displays present the history of Scotland from
in its sculptural treatment the museum draws its geological beginnings and are arranged
attention to its architectural qualities (Murphy, chronologically from basement to the upper
1999). In its flux of architecture and objects it galleries.1 The museum guide suggests a journey
contrasts with the notion of museums as neutral based on a chronological sequence. In contrast, the
containers of artefacts. And, in its integration of building offers a variety of routes allowing viewers to
display and architectural promenade, it offers a rich access the material in no particular order. The
spatial experience. The building is thus related to a symbiosis of the curatorial and the architectural
number of current architectural debates concerning approaches to moving and viewing reflects long-
the interaction between architecture, display and standing dilemmas concerning the control that
viewer. architecture has over the transmission of knowledge.
The interaction between architecture, objects, and Following a meandering route from the single-
the spectator provides a starting point for this storey entry, the visitor enters a top-lit triangular
investigation of the spatial experience of the atrium enlivened by staircases and bridges [Fig 4].
museum. The intention is to identify how this The south and east sides of the museum are sliced by
interaction is created and what is the role of the two top-lit shafts [Fig 5]. These form an L shape
layout in its making. The aim is also to examine the framing the core galleries defining the inner and
contribution of the design to the transmission of outer zone of exhibition rooms. Hovering in the
knowledge and to the educational message. Before interstitial gap between the galleries, one
moving to the analytical section of this paper, we experiences the tension between the horizontal
describe the building and the issues it raises. extension of the plan and the intriguing
The museum is situated close to the city's historic reappearance of the section. The opposition between
centre. It has its own entrance but can also be vertical and horizontal and the recurrence of layers, facing page
1 Museum of Scotland:
entered from the adjacent and complementary openings and slits offers an experience as interesting architects' exploded
nineteenth-century Royal Museum of Scotland (RMS). as the objects themselves [Fig 6]. axonometric

design arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 123

 arc
124 l ' V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

.U . . . 1.

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • v o ( 4 • n o i • 2 0 0 0 125

2 Plans. Shaded areas d First floor the links (right and

indicate voids. The e Ground floor left) with the Royal
older Royal Museum f Basement Museum of Scotland
of Scotland ties to
3 First floor exhibition 5 Basement level view
the left, behind the
area. Engines and ofthetop-lit shaft at
wall through which
boilers are the rear of the
the connecting
overlooked by a building. Bridges can
openings can be seen
cascadeoftop-lit be seen crossing the
indande
terraces void at ground, first
a Third floor
and first mezzanine
b Second floor 4 The top-I it atrium levels
c Mezzanine looking east towards

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
126 arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

In its contrasts the building promotes the idea of in a reconstruction of the phenomenon observed in
the viewer as active participant. In its variety of an attempt to form a complete image. In order to
routes it catalyzes the approach to history as a single reconstruct, it is essential to understand the object
chronological vision. Its integration of objects with that is viewed. The condition of interaction,
the design abandons the idea of collections as therefore, depends on the ways in which the
autonomous and absolute. Finally, its strong building becomes intelligible.
presence challenges the communication between In this context, the questions this study tries to
the curators and the public, and contrasts it with the answer are:
interaction of architecture with the viewer.2 It is • how do viewers understand the building through
widely held that the origins of this interaction are movement?
found in Cubism. The Cubists presented objects from • how does the visual information provided in this
multiple viewpoints and expressed experience as a process contribute to a total picture?
condition of a virtually mobile observer. Wright and • and how does this information relate to the
Le Corbusier and, more recently, Meier have used organization of knowledge?
architectural theatricality and movement as an The first part of this study examines the conceptual-
important element, combining movement with geometrical organization of the building. The second
sculptural forms to achieve alternative viewing investigates its spatial configuration in relation to
conditions in a way that is similar to the Cubists' movement. The third compares and discusses the
notion of a mentally active observer. results of the two kinds of analysis. And, finally, the
The notion of interaction between architecture, spatial and conceptual properties of the layout are
display and the viewer can be seen as a reflection of related to the transmission of knowledge.
the viewer's active participation in what is being
experienced. It depends on offering spatial Conceptual organization and spatial experience:
experiences that engage the mind and stimulate theoretical and methodological framework
viewers in their exploration. Following the Cubist Buildings are understood in two ways: as systems of
idea, it is dependent on the spectator's participation spaces that are seen sequentially through

6 View from the first

floor level bridge
looking towards the
apex of the
triangularatrium

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • V0I4 • n o i • 2000 127

movement, and as overall conceptual patterns that voids are placed. They also create a second marginal
can be grasped at once. The first is a product of zone corresponding to a peripheral area of
changing views of a mobile observer. The second is of circulation and exhibition spaces.
synchronous character and offers a stable framework This analysis shows that: first, a geometrical grid
to changing spatial experience. 'Learning' a building regulates the relations among the constituent shapes
involves both levels of understanding, each of which in a precise way; second, the geometrical shift marks
is based on a different system of laws. As in literature, the points where grid lines converge and, therefore, is
music and film, where an invisible armature holds not arbitrary [Fig. 7d]; and, third, the repetition of
the serial nature of the material together, peripheral zones around the gallery section
architecture combines the gradual unfolding of generates a recurring theme - an opposition between
space with the conceptual framework of its shape. wide and narrow, centre and margins [Fig. 7f]. This
This framework relates spatial moments into theme is reinforced by the corporeal organization;
conceptual structures outside their location in the the thickness of the walls and the massive definition
actual spatial terrain. The simplest example is a grid of corners give the curvilinear shape a discrete
structure which synchronizes partitions that are at identity and strengthen the opposition between
distance from each other and therefore seen at margins and centre. Seen in three dimensions, the
different moments. centres and margins are further opposed, as new
Viewers 'learn' buildings based on their own contrasts appear, namely, solids and voids, inside and
backgrounds and personal perspectives. However, outside [Fig. 8]. Finally, the functional operation of
what they experience from within has been elements establishes another level of meaning along
conceived from without and orchestrated through a the space - circulation distinction as the wide shapes
geometrical system. The interaction of the viewer become spaces, while the narrow ones become
with architecture is, therefore, sought in the extent staircases and circulation zones.
to which the two systems become intelligible at the Clearly demarcated and distinct volumes are
time the building is viewed. With this in mind, we defined each of which accommodates different
will examine each system in turn and then look at activities: curvilinear for galleries, longitudinal for
the ways in which they relate to each other. ticket reception, cylindrical for entry, triangular for
atrium, peripheral for circulation and voids. These
Geometrical-conceptual structure elements relate to each other along the geometrical,
The underlying consideration in this analysis is that corporeal and functional domain through a binary
elements enter into multiple relations by virtue of opposition. This distinguishes between centre and
belonging to a number of different domains. These periphery with the curvilinear volume featuring as
include geometry, structure, corporeality, function, centre and the outer exhibition spaces and ticket
materiality, colour, and distribution of light and reception forming a peripheral zone. The opposition
shade. A line in a grid, for example, is related to other takes different forms - wide and narrow, inside and
grid lines. By defining a wall, the line belongs both to outside, solid and void, vertical and horizontal, space
a geometrical and to a corporeal domain. Within the and circulation. These are embedded in each other so
latter, the wall is in a conceptual relation with other that a single theme operates within each and across
walls through similarity and difference in shape, different domains.
thickness and discontinuities in its surface. By being From the geometrical to the functional, and from
transparent it relates to other transparent the incorporeal to the corporeal, the conceptual
components and at the same time is distinguished organization is characterized by a large number of
from those that are opaque.3 elements that are grouped into two classes in binary
We will approach the conceptual structure of the opposition. We could say that this opposition is the
museum by studying relations within each domain main theme of the geometrical-conceptual
and across different ones. To this end, the organization of the building. We could also argue,
geometrical relations are examined first. Figures that the distribution of elements into different
7a-f describe the geometric structure, starting from domains under a single theme conveys an
the structural grid and moving gradually to the architectural intention. While in a single domain the
geometric construction of partitions. The structural theme might be seen as unique or accidental, its
system of the building generates a 7.5 x 7.5m recurrence in many domains makes it systematic
orthogonal grid [Fig. 7a]. The back, left and right carrying, thus, increased degrees of signification
intervals of this grid are expanded to define the (Benedict, 1986).
outer walls [Fig. 7b). A square consisting of 5 x 5m The systematic nature of the conceptual structure
grid units defines the location of the curvilinear reveals a tendency for legibility. The architects have
shape corresponding to the core galleries and the constructed a multi-layered system and through
square projection of the volume inside the atrium repetition have attempted to ensure that it conveys a
on the first floor. Tangential to the bottom and right clear message. It seems that the centre/periphery
grid lines lies a circle forming the entry [Fig. 7c]. A distinction articulates two aspects specific to museum
shift in the grid marks the location of the architecture: that of viewing objects and that of
longitudinal ticket reception [Fig. 7d|. A peripheral moving and viewing the building. The former is the
zone frames the gallery section, while a linear one 'centre', the realm of the artefacts. The latter, is the
pulls the ticket reception away from the atrium [Fig. 'periphery' or boundary between the artefacts and the
7ej. These zones become gaps where shafts, stairs and outside. From the centre the museum speaks about its

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
128 arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

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Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • V0I4 • noi • 2000 129

specific purpose. From the periphery it communicates to our understanding of space as paths that cross a
a broader purpose: the museum as architecture that number of spaces in one direction.
can be traversed and seen through movement. Layouts are subdivided into the fewest and fattest
convex spaces to produce a 'convex map'. The fewest
Experiencing the building through movement and longest lines are also drawn on plans generating
The relationship between space and movement is the an 'axial map'. The property of'integration' is
key issue of'space syntax', a theory and a method for measured next accounting for t h e relative
describing layouts and relating them to social separation of spaces. An integrated space is close to
function and cultural meaning (Hillier and Hanson, every other space in the layout and is accessible by
1984; Hillier, 1996). Space syntax analysis is based on few changes in direction. In contrast, a segregated
two fundamental ways in which space is space is distanced from any other location and is
experienced: as a set of two-dimensional units, reached through many changes in direction.
known as 'convex spaces' and as a system of axes, Another tool for representing spatial
namely 'axial lines'. Convex spaces are spatial units - environments is known as an isovist (Benedict, 1979).
any two points of which are connected by a line that This is thevisual field of an observer from a vantage
does not cross their boundary [Figs, ga and b]. Axial point and is drawn by connecting the standpoint
lines are axes of sight and movement and correspond with the edges of surfaces [Fig. ao]. A number of

7 Progressive volume inside the 9 Difference between a

reconstruction of the atrium at first floor convex and a concave
geometry of the level space
building revealsthe d A shift in the grid a Convex space: a line
main geometrical- marksthe connecting any two
conceptual theme. longitudinal ticket points in the space
This is based on a and reception area belongs entirely to
distinction between e A peripheral zone the space
the'core galleries' frames the gallery b Concave space: a
(curvilinearvolume) section and a linear line from A to B
and the peripheral one pulls the ticket crosses the
zones area away from the boundaries of the
accommodating atrium space
circulation, voids f The peripheral
10 Part of a building plan
and exhibitions zones generate an
showing an 'isovist'
a The structural opposition between
drawn from a point.
system is on a 7.5 x wide and narrow,
An isovist is a visual
7.5m grid centre and margins
polygon produced
b The grid is
8 The geometrical from a stationary
expanded to define
theme in three point and is drawn by
the outer walls
dimensions reveals joining the edges of
c A 5 x 5 unit square
the contrasts surfaces with this
defines the location
between solid and point
of the core galleries
void, inside and
andthesquare
outside
projection of the

gb

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
13° arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

isovists created from a number of positions can

express sequences of views along a selected path.
These two methods will be combined to capture
the structure of the layout as a system of routes and
as a succession of visual experiences. It is hoped that
certain limitations of both tools will be identified
and extended to descriptions that are specific to the
issues of this study.

Syntactic analysis
From the point of view of architecture and its effects
on visitors' experience, vertical visual connections
seem important as the design places a great
emphasis on the section through an extensive use of
voids. In this respect, a three-dimensional analysis is
applied connecting spaces along the vertical
direction. Another methodological comment
concerns a combined axial and convex
representation by superimposing axial lines on the
convex map4 [Fig. 11].
The first property to consider concerns the
morphology and distribution of axes. As Figure 12
shows, the floor plans are traversed by long lines that
link t h e entrance with the atrium, the atrium with
the galleries and the galleries with themselves. The
second property to discuss is the structure of routes.
A large axial loop runs along the periphery of the
layout [Pig. 13]. This intersects with a number of
smaller loops that establish a dense network of
connections between the gallery section and the
peripheral zone. These properties indicate that the
building offers direct access to most of its spaces as
well as a large amount of choice regarding which
spaces to see and in which sequence.5
The pattern of integration is shown in Figure 14.
Dark shades represent highly integrated elements,
while light ones show progressive degrees of
segregation. The most integrated elements cover a
large proportion of the basement, ground and first
floor, and a small part of the second floor. They
stretch from front to back and from side to side
connecting the entrance, the atrium and the gallery
spaces. Strong vertical links between the atrium, the
bridges and balconies crossing it at the first and
11 Convex spaces and axial 12 The dense network of
lines superimposed on axial lines on these
second floors are also established. The vertical
a plan. This combined plans indicates strong connections through the shafts at the back and the
representation captures connections between
our experience of space the 'core galleries' and
right side of the building are also well integrated.
consisting of two- the circulation spaces The penetration of integration through four floors
dimensional units and and among the
their connection into galleries themselves
shows that a clear structure of circulation exists
linear sequences a First floor giving easy access to the majority of spaces. Journeys
b Ground floor from everywhere to everywhere else cross these levels

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • V0I4 • ncn • 2000 131

and in particular the atrium, the bridges and the

columnar space on the first floor. The integrating
role of these spaces is communicated to visitors not
only through their architectural language, dramatic
appearance and the manipulation of light and form,
but also through the logic of spatial connections.
They form an intelligible core that distributes
movement becoming global orientation devices.
These results show that visitors use the
information the building provides in their
exploration. At the same time, the circulation
circuits conduct them away from the main
circulation structure and bring them back again as
they proceed through the building. The experience
of the museum is informal, allowing people to
follow a range of pathways without losing
connection with the overall pattern.
This analysis leads to some preliminary
conclusions regarding the interaction between
architecture and the viewer in the museum. As
suggested earlier, the notion of interaction with a
setting presupposes an understanding of its
organizing principles. In the museum, this is evident
through a clear circulation structure and visual
relations. Furthermore, a second dimension of the
interaction between architecture and the viewer is
also at work: this is the freedom the layout offers to
visitors to construct their own routes into the
building.
This interaction between architecture and viewer
is the result of a clear structure and a wide range of
possibilities for moving through it. This structure
and informality allows visitors to exercise personal
choice while retaining an overall sense of
orientation. At the same time, the building suggests
ways in which individual actions are combined into
an overall pattern of routes. Visitors respond to the
layout and are guided by it. This produces a two-force
action or an inter-action between architecture and
viewers.

13 Circulation loops on characteristic brings segregation. The

ground floor. There spacesand figure shows that the
are multiple ways to exhibitions closer to atrium acts as a
move into each floor each other 'centre" of each level
level and into the and the building as a
14 Distribution of whole, distributing
museum as a whole.
integration. Dark movement through
One can return to
tone represents the museum
any starting point
highly integrated
without having to
elements, while light
cross areas that are
tone represents
already visited. This
progressive

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
132 arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

Analysis of visual fields sequences that have been already exposed from
Space syntax has enabled a description of the ways in other points. The isovists generated by this process
which the museum is experienced and understood are shown in Figures isa-i.
as an overall pattern of movement. However, it does Looking at these figures we see that the majority of
not explain how this pattern is 'learned' by a isovists produced by this process link with the
peripatetic observer who can absorb only a limited atrium. In contrast, every isovist drawn from central
amount of visual information at a time. 6 This is points in each gallery room is limited to gallery
because at the representational level it accounts for spaces only [Figs. i6a-c]. We also see that the points
how layouts are 'learned' as fields of possible from which the isovists are drawn are situated at the
connections and routes. This leads to the conclusion peripheral zone and peripheral points inside the
that the space syntax method is a top-down core gallery section. When lines connecting these
description of the peripatetic experience of a layout points are drawn, the entrance route and the
as a whole. To describe how the museum is seen peripheral circulation loop is defined, in a way in
through gradual movement, a bottom-up approach which a continuous sequence is formed and none of
is needed which looks at the pathways of visitors as them is crossed twice [Fig. 17]. It follows from this
they meander through the layout. In addition, the that the layout can be gradually 'learned' by
way in which the conceptual pattern is grasped movement along a peripheral route and a constant
through movement has, so far, been outside our point of reference.
consideration. The reason is that convex spaces and This becomes evident when we superimpose all
axial lines are not specific to geometry, shape and isovists [Fig. 18]. As seen in this figure, the sum of
the disposition of boundaries which in turn define visual fields experienced along this route exposes the
and represent a building's conceptual structure. 7 entire layout. We notice that overlaps are
Isovists offer an analytical tool for examining constructed between isovists produced from
sequential viewing as well as the exposure of neighbouring points as well as from points that are
surfaces. They capture experience as a series of visual at distance from each other. So, moving along this
fields bounded by wall surfaces rather than as a route a viewer not only retains constant contact with
series of abstract spatial connections. The question the atrium but also experiences a successive
we are trying to answer is: how does the viewer use synchronization of spaces. A constant stability and a
the knowledge encountered to learn gradually about gradually evolving one are built into spatial
the overall layout at both the syntactic and the experience. Visitors are always informed about
conceptual level? However, the application of isovist subsequent spaces and at the same time reminded of
analysis poses a number of methodological those that are already traversed.
questions: first, how a finite number of isovists can It was argued earlier that the conceptual ordering
be drawn; second, in a building where no single of the building is based on a distinction between
sequence of spaces exists how can routes be defined centre and periphery. The isovist analysis reveals this
and analyzed? We will try to answer these questions distinction as corresponding to a distinction
using our knowledge of the syntactic properties of between gallery to atrium, and gallery to gallery
the layout. In this way, we will propose that the exposure. This takes the form of a peripheral route
description of space as a condition of sequential characterized by information stability. The architects
movement and as a conceptual pattern can be linked have constructed a correspondence between
by the notion of axial lines and isovists. different kinds of spatial experience and the
We will start by generating a finite number of conceptual pattern. This shows a tendency to expose
isovists. Choosing the intersections of axial lines to the organizing principles of geometry, corporeality
draw isovists from is the first step towards limiting and function during movement.
the infinite number of spatial points in a layout. This In Figure 19 all the wall surfaces seen from the
is because these points link all the convex entities isovist are highlighted to generate the surface
traversed by the axial lines they belong to. definition of views. This figure shows that the
Consequently, they generate visual fields that sequential experience of the layout produced along
include more convex spaces than an isovist produced this route gradually reveals all the constituent
from any other point along a single line. The second physical elements of the building apart from the
step in the elimination process is to choose the walls subdividing the core gallery section.
intersection points of the longest lines linking with Comparing this figure with the conceptual diagram
the largest sets of convex spaces in the layout. The produced by the previous analysis enables us to
aim is to see the maximum number of spaces from as check whether we can induce a representation of the
few points as possible. The third step is to ensure that conceptual structure [Figs. 7e and 19]. The majority
every single space is exposed at least once, so that the of surfaces defining the conceptual diagram are
co-ordination of all isovists can 'reconstruct' the physically manifest in the composite isovist. It
entire layout. We use the word 'expose' to indicate emerges that visual fields along the periphery of the
even a partial presence of a space in a visual field, building can reconstruct the corporeal framework of
rather than complete exposure. The word the conceptual structure, i.e. the curvilinear gallery
'reconstruct' indicates an aggregation of visual fields volume as a distinct bounded entity and the
from which every convex space is seen as a partial or peripheral surfaces defining the outer zones.
a complete entity. Finally, we exclude points from The comparison between the two kinds of analysis
which isovists reveal only spaces and spatial shows that: first, movement can be defined as a set of

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • V0I4 • noi - 2000 133

\J>
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16a 16b 16c

15 Isovists drawn from 16 Isovists drawn from

the intersection of central points in
axes on the ground ground floor gallery
floor rooms. As opposed to
those in 15, which link
with the triangular
court, these isovists
are limited to gallery
spaces only

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
134 arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

finite points which retain constant visual Architecture, display and the educational message
characteristics (contact with the atrium);8 second, Having examined the interaction between
visitors can retain orientation and learn the entire architecture and the viewer, we focus on the
layout with reference to the atrium; third, the two relationship between architecture, display and the
different kinds of exposure highlight the conceptual educational message. The primary function of the
distinction between centre and margins and bring it Museum of Scotland is to present its collections and
to the foreground of visitors' experience; and last, transmit the natural and cultural history of
the successive exposure of wall surfaces reconstructs Scotland. At this point it is important to establish a
the conceptual theme into a total picture with the distinction between knowledge as acquired by
core gallery section featuring as the centre, and the specialists and as transmitted to the public (Peponis
peripheral zone working as a circulation-exhibition and Hedin, 1984). The notion of'interpretation' of
area.9 It is evident that, from the conceptual to the the collections mediates the relationship between
experiential level, the design is an active component these two kinds of knowledge. Collections in
of the communication and orientation processes museums are interpreted so as to facilitate the
that enable the visitor to relate to and understand comprehension of the display, sustain interest, and
the museum. In other words, viewers are in a stimulate exploration.
position to interact with architecture and be In contrast to past approaches to exhibition design
actively involved in a mental reconstruction of a total where objects were set in neutral galleries, as in the
image. RMS, contemporary museums attempt to create a

17 Joining the isovist 18 Composite isovist 19 Highlighting the

points shown in 15 generated by surfaces seen in the
produces a overlaying all isovists composite isovist in
continuous ground in 15. This diagram 18 re-produces most
floor route that shows that the entire of the physical
starts from the layout can be learnt elements of the
entrance and moves from nine points layout. A surface
inalinearsequence linearly linked along definition of visual
along the periphery the periphery fields contributes to
of the building a mental
reconstruction of the
conceptual pattern
seeninye

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland
 design arq • V0I4 • noi • 2000 135

variety of experiences. The competition brief building a representation of history i n the way in
specified that the display concept should provide a which this is expressed by the curatorial
coherent story from the earliest geological times to interpretation of the collection? The Museum of
the present.10 However, the galleries were intended to Scotland houses a complicated arrangement as if it is
give choice to visitors rather than forcing them to simple and unified. From what has been said so far
follow a single sequence. we cannot regard knowledge, history and culture as
This intention was realized in the museum design coherent. At the same time we cannot regard the
by a clear spatial structure and a variety of routes building as an attempt to symbolize such a picture.
giving the layout coherence while at the same time The reasons are as follows: although knowledge in
creating a varied experience. The multiple links the museum has been already structured, the
between galleries and the various ways in which they learning experience can be personal. This is because
can be approached succeeds in bringing objects from the building offers a large degree of choice over what
different periods and different areas of knowledge to see and in which sequence. Second, the same
together." However, as Peponis and Hedin have collection and message could be accommodated in a
observed, knowledge itself might be less integrated different layout provided it retained the multiple
(Peponis and Hedin, 1984). The framework by which connections of spaces. This demonstrates that there
geology and natural history are studied, for example, is not a one-to-one correspondence between the
is different from that of culture and human history. building and its contents.
Similarly, 'acquiring and processing resources' are The architecture of the Museum of Scotland does
different cultural processes from 'burial, ritual and not reflect culture but substitutes o u r infinite and
religion'. However, the rich spatial interconnections incomplete knowledge with a finite image. Unlike
among different areas of knowledge present them as the actual world where we have to accept that no
though they are continuous and compatible. single pathway to knowledge exists, with
In general, knowledge is obtained in increments architecture we can engage with a world that is
that do not always link in a continuous and coherent coherent through a set of intelligible routes and
format. Whenever new information becomes clear organizing structures. Like literature, painting,
available, what is already known becomes film and other forms of art, architecture allows us to
rearranged and reinterpreted. Certain material is move inside boundaries that give shape and form to
explained, while some still remains unclear, leading things that are in reality separate and distinct. With
to discontinuities, and inconsistencies. Nevertheless, fictional universes we can suspend disbelief because
the spatial integration in the Museum of Scotland we engage with a world that has its own ontological
generates the illusion of a continuous thread and a structure (Eco, 1995). If we take the ontological world
unified message. At the same time, the exposure of of the Museum of Scotland literally and regard the
the conceptual theme epitomizes the unifying building as a symbol of a coherent story, we might as
powers of space and integrates the entire easily believe that Scottish history is about castles.
arrangement into a single and stable image. Neither of the two holds good and we enjoy lingering
The allusions the building makes to Scotland's in a museum in which the imagination of the
medieval traditions aid this message. The museum architects has offered us what history and discourse
refers to castle architecture - the main core galleries are unable to provide.
forming the tower or keep and the outer zone, with
its heavy stonework, a surrounding wall. The circular Summary
tower at the north-west corner of the building In any museum, the relation between architecture,
echoes the form of Edinburgh Castle's half-moon display and the viewer is largely an outcome of the
battery. History is expressed as a complete message building layout and its spatial and conceptual
through a metaphor which transposes a historical relations. Moreover, architecture plays an active role
building type to a modern architectural context. in the transmission of knowledge and in the
The building lies in the boundary between curators' intentions to construct an integrated
knowledge as accessed by the specialists and message. This study confirms the new Museum of
knowledge as processed and transmitted to the Scotland to be successful in both, these respects: it
public. The former has no author. It stands outside thus informs the debate on museums as active
space and time as an autonomous and incomplete containers for their displays and demonstrates the
entity subject to interpretations, extensions and influence architecture has on the ways people move
discoveries by those who pursue it. The latter is the in museums, locate the collections and grasp the
result of authorial entities, the educators, and stands educational content. As such, it also makes a
in space and time as a complete narrative with contribution to the other debate on museum design
greater or lesser degrees of reading instructions.12 in which the layout and its impact on visitors'
Architecture provides the edifice for this narrative; a experience remains largely invisible. Finally, it is
complete universe that houses what is actually clear that space and form may sustain but cannot
incomplete and subject to change. represent the ideologies of exhibition layouts that
The question that arises at this point is: is the may be applied to them.

Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Crajewski
136 arq • V0I4 • no 2 • 2000 design

Notes tangential to surfaces and convex activity to artefacts and

1. The basement displays Scotland's spaces are produced by the surroundings that are part of the
landscape and life until 1100AD; the extensions of wall surfaces. fabric of life today'.
ground floor, the emergence of the However, once these elements are 12. Finally, the brief also stated:
nation to 1707; the first floor, drawn, they are discarded as the 'Supporting the overall aims is a
mezzanine and second floor, the analysis proceeds to calculating network of intentions. We want to
eighteenth and nineteenth abstract properties without create a variety of experiences for
centuries; and the third floor corporeal or geometrical the visitor, in terms of message,
contains objects selected by dimensions. means of display and
individuals as representative of 8. A number of significant interpretation, and pace. We will be
Scottish life in the twentieth methodological implications arise providing a high level of
century. from this definition. First, isovists orientation and guidance without
2. The building employs a familiar generated from these points can be being intrusive'.
architectural vocabulary. The examined to see whether they
recessed openings [Fig. 6] bring to retain other visual properties that References
mind Le Corbusier's wall treatment remain as stable as the surfaces they Benedict, M. L, (1979). 'To Take Hold of
at Ronchamp. The top-lit shafts expose. Second, a number of spaces Space: Isovist and Isovist Fields',
recall the dramatic contrasts of the can be chosen to study the extent to Environment and PlanningB, no. 6, pp.
rear spaces in Sir John Soane's which they remain constant in 47-65-
house and museum. These visual fields. Third, isovist points Benedict, M. L. (1991). Deconstructing the
references are allegorical in nature. can be studied to identify their Kimbell: an Essay on Meaning and
They reflect a design approach convex and axial relations, whether Architecture, Sites Books, New York.
rooted in a modernist spatial they are visible from each other or Eco, U. (1995). Six Walks in the Fictional
aesthetic. whether they are axially linked into Woods, Harvard University Press,
3. Elements enter into universal and a continuous sequence. Two Cambridge, Mass.
particular taxonomies and extreme cases can be defined. One is Hillier, B. (1996). Space is the Machine,
classifications. Geometry, structure when all points are situated in the Cambridge University Press,
and corporeality are universal same convex entity - in which case Cambridge, UK.
classifications that operate in most the layout is exposed entirely from Hillier, B. and Hanson, J., (1984). The
buildings. Classifications deriving a single convex space. The second is Social logic of Space, Cambridge
from similarities and differences when they are axially linked in a University Press, Cambridge, UK.
like curved-linear, orthogonal- sequence as in the Museum of Murphy, R. 'Edinburgh tour de force'
shifted are particular since they Scotland. The methodology is still (1999). The Architects'Journal, vol. 8,
occur in the context of a specific under development. no. 207, pp. 26-35.
building. 9. It is interesting to note that PeponisJ. and H e d i n J . (1984).'The
4. This method captures both the two- skylights surround the curvilinear Layout of Theories in the Natural
dimensional extension of spaces volume housing the core galleries History Museum', 9H, no. 3, pp.
and their large scale connections so that all points of entry to, or exit 21-25.
into sequences. from, this section are enhanced by
5. Visitors can either remain on the natural light. This emphasizes the Illustration credits
galleries and use the small distinct identity and separateness of arq gratefully acknowledges:
circulation loops or skip the central the core galleries from the rest of Benson + Forsyth, 1
gallery section entirely and move the layout. Helene Binet, 5 and 6
along the periphery. Alternatively, 10. The design competition brief All other images and photographs are
both kinds of routes can be stated: 'The display concept by the Authors
combined using the bridges that emerging from this work envisages
cross the shafts. Vertical circulation that core displays occurring in The Consultancy project
through stairs and lifts in the about three-quarters of the space, This paper is the outcome of a
atrium and at the back and right should provide a coherent story consultancy project carried out for the
side of the building increase the from the earliest geological times to National Museums of Scotland, June
number of choices. Visitors can the present day; however, the 1999. Sophia Psarra [email protected])
choose to omit large sections of galleries should be organized so and Tadeusz Grajewski were
exhibition material in one floor that visitors can move into, or out commissioned to carry out a study of
and move to the next level. of, the sequence rather than having the layout of the National Museum of
6. Syntactic analysis describes how to follow a continuous progression Scotland and the Royal Museum of
simple or complex the layout from beginning to end'. From the Scotland and their effects on the
appears in terms of the overall 'Museum of Scotland Project', (The patterns of movement and use. The
distribution of integration. Project Office, National Museums of purpose was to evaluate the design of
However, these are global patterns Scotland, June 1996). the two museums in terms of its effects
which are unavailable to a 11. The brief also stated: 'The aim of on the patterns of movement.
peripatetic visitor who experiences the new museum is to stimulate the
a succession of spaces one after visitor to explore Scotland's culture, Biographies
another. to enjoy and appreciate what has Sophia Psarra is a design lecturer and
7. The representation of spatial contributed to the making of research consultant in the Welsh
properties through convex spaces Scotland. There will be the School of Architecture.
and axial lines is determined by the opportunity to move from the Tadeusz Grajewski is a senior research
configurational properties of structure of the landscape itself fellow and research consultant in
boundaries, as axial lines are drawn through millennia of human the Welsh School of Architecture.

Sophia Psarra and Tadeusz Grajewski Architecture, narrative and promenade in Benson + Forsyth's Museum of Scotland