This course provides a comprehensive and critical introduction to exhibition design as an interdisciplinary field that integrates architecture, museology, and spatial storytelling. It conceptualizes exhibitions as constructed environments in which space, objects, and interpretive tools operate together to communicate ideas and shape visitor experience.
The course combines theoretical grounding with practical design approaches. It examines the historical evolution of museum architecture and the role of exhibitions in constructing cultural narratives, power relations, and systems of representation. At the same time, it emphasizes the translation of curatorial and institutional concepts into spatial experiences through interpretive strategies, narrative sequencing, and visitor-centered design.
A strong focus is placed on the spatial and technical components of exhibition making. Students engage with circulation planning, display systems, object placement, and communication tools such as text, graphics, and media. Core design elements—including lighting, color, materials, and environmental conditions—are studied both in terms of perceptual impact and conservation requirements. The course also introduces professional standards, accessibility principles, and the integration of digital and interactive technologies within coherent conceptual frameworks.
Throughout the semester, students develop the ability to synthesize architectural, curatorial, and interpretive thinking into structured exhibition proposals. The course culminates in a final project in which students design and present a concept-driven exhibition, demonstrating their capacity to integrate research, spatial organization, technical considerations, and communication strategies into a cohesive and meaningful visitor experience.
The course combines theoretical grounding with practical design approaches. It examines the historical evolution of museum architecture and the role of exhibitions in constructing cultural narratives, power relations, and systems of representation. At the same time, it emphasizes the translation of curatorial and institutional concepts into spatial experiences through interpretive strategies, narrative sequencing, and visitor-centered design.
A strong focus is placed on the spatial and technical components of exhibition making. Students engage with circulation planning, display systems, object placement, and communication tools such as text, graphics, and media. Core design elements—including lighting, color, materials, and environmental conditions—are studied both in terms of perceptual impact and conservation requirements. The course also introduces professional standards, accessibility principles, and the integration of digital and interactive technologies within coherent conceptual frameworks.
Throughout the semester, students develop the ability to synthesize architectural, curatorial, and interpretive thinking into structured exhibition proposals. The course culminates in a final project in which students design and present a concept-driven exhibition, demonstrating their capacity to integrate research, spatial organization, technical considerations, and communication strategies into a cohesive and meaningful visitor experience.
- Trainer/in: Erge YurtdaS