Impact of the spatial and display layout of the National Museum of Australia on the visitor experience

Abstract

Museums are important cultural sites in cities to attract visitors. The physical context of museum buildings is essential in shaping the visitor experience, and it is important to understand the spatial and display layout and its impact on visitors’ experience. This thesis analyses the selected case study, the National Museum of Australia. It investigates the relationship between museum spatial properties and visitors’ movement and the influence of movement patterns on visitors’ experience to determine how the museum’s architectural characteristics affect visitors’ experience. Unlike extensive research in spatial and visitor experience studies, few studies have combined qualitative and quantitative assessment to understand visitors’ perspective of the museum visit. Unlike previous studies that only focus on behaviour mapping, this study included interviews with visitors to explore visitors’ experience and clearly explain the visitor perspective. Mixed-methods of data collection are used in the study, including the quantitative and qualitative assessments of the National Museum of Australia. In the quantitative analysis, space syntax techniques were used to assess the spatial characteristics of the museum. In the qualitative analysis, two types of data were used. First, behaviour mapping of 30 visitors in each gallery of the museum was used to record visitors’ movement patterns. Second, interviews were conducted with ten visitors who had completed their museum visit. The findings indicate that the difference in the layout of each of the four permanent galleries and the main hall resulted in various museum movement patterns and different visitor experiences. The results show a direct correlation between spatial characteristics, such as visibility, integration and connectivity, and visitors’ experience, encouraging visitors to move toward more integrated and visible space. The main recommendation to improve visitor experience is to increase the accessibility and visibility toward the garden to create the integration core for the museum. This combined approach illustrates how differences in layouts can create different visitor experience in the same environment. In conclusion, the study of spatial and display layout enables designers and curators to better evaluate the movement pattern of visitors and provide a better quality of experience, improving the museum’s ability to convey its messages.