Using Technology to enhance the visitor experience at the Noguchi Museum in NYC.

1. the noguchi museum
become the future

2. about the museum
• the noguchi museum opened in 1985
• 24,000 square feet of gallery space,
two floors
• first floor: permanent exhibits
– outdoor sculpture garden
– café, museum shop
• second floor: temporary exhibits
• basement: education

3. “The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum is devoted to the
preservation, documentation, presentation, and interpretation of the work of
Isamu Noguchi.”
“Our efforts will continue to reflect this vision and will extend it into
the Future…
The intimacy of Noguchi’s design of the Museum is a fundamental
and exceptional part of the visitor experience…
…will upgrade the Museum’s facilities and technology systems, and
will sustain the high quality of its programming for current and
future generations.”

4. Today’s Technology
• Video Room with a 50+
minute video/DVD:
Noguchi’s life story, and the
genesis of the museum.
• Laminated guides to help
visitors identify sculpture:
name, date, type of stone.
• Two DVDs demonstrating
lantern and furniture
making in the café museum
store.
• Fountain Sculpture provided
audio backdrop.

5. Transform the future…
“It’s the designer’s job to
think how functions apply.
It’s the consumer’s to decide
in the end… First we must
pursue the truth and its
usefulness and whether or
not it is beautiful comes as a
co-commitment .”
Isamu Noguchi

6. THE TRANSFORMATION
‘become the artist’
• The ‘video room’ becomes an ‘orientation room.’
• Laminated information sheets are replaced with motion sensitive parabolic speaker system.
Retains intimacy of space.
• QR system for mobile devices QR sculpture code communicate with mobile devices. QR
reader can be downloaded from museum website or in the orientation room. Information
about the sculpture can be stored on smartphone or device.
• All-weather domed rainbow, sculpture and play garden on the roof.
• “I am the Artist’, hands-on guided activities in the Education Space in the basement and
computer-based tools in the Museum Café.
• Transform the café museum store into an exploratory learning center.

7. Orientation & Information Center
‘becoming an artist’
ingress/ Interactive Information ingress/
egress Tables & stools egress

8. Galleries
&

9. The Roof
1. Glass Dome: Virtual rainbows and visitor shadows appear across the
surface of the dome using water and light.
2. Design your own Rock Garden: rocks, stones, sand, replicas of Noguchi
sculpture components. Mix of real and artificial stones. Cameras in the
dome capture the rock garden as it changes. Photo loop of sculpture
garden projects on wall.
3. Play Area: Noguchi designed play equipment as an extension of the
rock garden.
4. Stone fountain, water runs into a cement brook.
5. Café: Noguchi Cyclone tables and rocking chairs.
6. All weather usable space.

10. The Roof

11. Café Exploratory
Interactive: Be an artist Share your art Bring it home Write a story: become a rock Do-it-yourself at home
3D & 2D
Printers
ingress
Bust Telepresence Bust
Booth Booth
Room
Artists around-the world
egress 3D & 2D
Printers
Copyright Nasser Rabbat / Aga Khan Program, Archnet

12. Education Exploratory
1. Furniture making: participate in the
bent wood process
2. Paper Lantern making
3. Printmaking
4. Sculpting
5. Sand sculpture
6. Design a Sculpture Garden
7. Design a sculpture, a museum
8. in 2D & 3D drawing & modeling
tools e.g.:
a. CAD
b. Adobe Design Suite
c. Sketchup
9. Collaborate (national & global): C.
TelePresence, conferencing.
10. Multimedia composition, a & v &
light
11. Apprenticeship Programs
12. Awards (celebration) Socrates
Sculpture Park, roof events

13. THE END
Media for Museums & Public Spaces
EDCT GE 2200.0011
Leonard Majzlin
Presented on May 3, 2012
Conceptual Design:
Robyn Berland
Judy Bellova