De Young Museum
Circulation
I recently went to the De Young Museum in SF. Its circulation layout really impressed me. There were plenty of visitors, and the space was crowded, but everyone followed a queue and never got jammed. That was attributable to the circulation design of the exhibition space.
Due to the high visitor traffic that exhibition spaces and museums typically experience, the circulation design is crucial. It has an impact on both safety issues and the visitor experience. Although staff members may assist in directing the crowd, building design could also help.
Legion of Honor Museum
Lighting design
The Legion of Honor Museum has lighting designs that emulate daylight in some exhibition halls. My impression of that place was that all the exhibits were nicely illuminated, making it possible to view everything well.
For museums and exhibition spaces, lighting design is significant since exhibits must be clearly visible. Because light can harm some ancient items, some exhibitions are relatively dark. I prefer brighter exhibitions with enough lighting and spotlights aimed at objects so visitors can make better observations.
