CASE STUDYCITY MUSEUM, CHANDIGARH

MUSEUM & ART GALLERY The Government Museum & Art Gallery was designed as a building for the Museum by Le Corbusier. It came into being on the 6th of May, 1968 with untiring efforts of Late M.S. Randhawa, the then Chief Commissioner.

Like the City of Chandigarh, the Museum owes its existence to the partition of the country. The collection of arts objects, paintings, sculpture and decorative arts was housed in Lahore, the then Capital of Punjab. On 20th April 1948 the division of the collection took place by which 60% of the objects were retained as were the objects already re-produced in books and excavated from the sites falling in erstwhile Punjab. The remaining 40% collection consisting mainly of Gandhara Sculpture and miniature paintings fell in the East Punjab’s share. Received in 1949, the collection was first installed in Amritsar and then shifted to Shimla. It was decided in 1960 that the Museum should have a building of its own in Chandigarh. The plan was approved in 1962 and the work remained suspended for sometime and finally, the Museum was constructed and opened to public in May, 1968.

The Museum possesses the largest collection of the world famous Gandhara Sculptures after Lahore. There is also a well appointed library in the Museum, which meets the needs of the scholars and students through its stock of 4600 books and references of arts and allied subjects. 

THE MISSIONS OF A MUSEUM ARE:

1) Collect and exhibit art and historic artifacts for public education and enjoyment,

2) Protect the collection from damage, and 3) Do this all as efficiently as possible.

That’s it, Pure and Simple... preserving and presenting our art and heritage. Anything that detracts from this is artistic or architectural nonsense and a violation of a museum’s stewardship.

If the "public" (young or old) cannot see, understand and enjoy the exhibits, the building is not a museum, it is an archive. If items are not preserved, whatever it may be, the building is not a museum. Without both good presentation and effective preservation, a museum won’t be able to continue.

CASE STUDY TOPICS

1. Electrical2. Lighting indoor and outdoor3. Fire Fighting4. Circulation indoor and outdoor5. Planning of spaces and form6. Response to climate, sun and wind, shading devices7. Water Supply and sewerage disposal8. Façade design and treatment9. Furniture and display units10. Site analysis, blocking , zoning , parking and landscaping

ELECTRICAL

LIGHTING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

Lighting in museums and art galleries plays a key role in a visitor's ability to perceive and enjoy both the artefacts in a museum and the building in total. In order to develop a successful lighting scheme, a museum lighting designer must satisfy many conflicting design requirements.

Dramatic variations in light levels from exhibit to exhibit, or from exterior to interior, can affect a visitor's ability to appreciate artwork because the human eye requires several minutes to adjust to large changes in light levels. Sharply contrasting light levels between a bright entry and a dark gallery can be very disturbing, and potentially

LIGHTING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

LIGHTING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

LIGHTING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

LIGHTING INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

FIRE FIGHTING

CIRCULATION INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

Circulation space identifies area of a building that is used for pedestrian travel, such as a hallway, stair way, and areas in a room that leads to another room. It is generally not good to have a home with a high percentage of circulation space. When you visit a building, your main focus should be the rooms and not the hallway.

WHAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND WHILE DESIGNING CIRCULATION SPACE ?

•Widen corridors beyond the typical 8-9 feet currently in use.

•Corridors should be able to easily handle two-way traffic.

•Break up corridor lengths. This will reduce travel time and also discourage kids from running through the halls.

•Keep corridors a consistent width. Corridors that expand and contract create bottlenecks.

•Blind corners can be a hazard. People who walk at a fast pace or turn corners quickly do not see the traffic in the intersecting hallway.

• This can lead to congestion, bumping, collisions, and altercations.

•Consider rounding or angling corners so there is a sight line to the intersecting corridor.

CIRCULATION INDOOR AND OUTDOOR

PLANNING OF SPACES AND FORM

FAÇADE DESIGN AND TREATMENT

FURNITURE AND DISPLAY UNITS

FURNITURE AND DISPLAY UNITS

FURNITURE AND DISPLAY UNITS

FURNITURE AND DISPLAY UNITS

FURNITURE AND DISPLAY UNITS

SITE ANALYSIS, BLOCKING , ZONING , PARKING AND LANDSCAPING

THANK YOU