The museum brand footprint - the role of architecture in defining the museum's image

The Museum Brand Footprint:
The Role of Architecture in
Defining the Museum’s Image

Inside:
Foreword IFC A Newcomer Page 16
Overview Page 3 Renaissance Page 19
A Global Brand Page 6 A Clean Slate Page 22
Clearly Local Page 8 Convergence Page 24
Larger and Diversified Page 10 Evolving the Footprint Page 27
Redefined Page 14 Footnotes Page 33

Foreword
William Menking
Founder and Editor, The Architect’s Newspaper

The first museum is thought to date from the 3rd century BCE when King Ptolemy I founded
the State Museum of Alexandria, Egypt. Museums have served as public repositories of
cultural artifacts, societal memory, and scholarship in all historical periods since Periclean Greek temples displayed
statues, paintings, and votive offerings. The collection that would become the Uffizi Gallery was established in Florence
during the Italian Renaissance, and, in 1683, the Ashmolean opened in Oxford, England, marking the first use of the
word ‘museum’ in the English language. Finally, in 1793, the French Republic opened the Louvre with its encyclopedic
art treasures assembled by the French royalty.

The first museum in the United States was likely Harvard University's Repository of Curiosities, begun in 1750, and
the Library Society of Charleston South Carolina, founded in 1773. The last half of the 19th Century in America
witnessed an explosion of new institutions including the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut in 1842, the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. in 1846, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City in 1870.

The one constant in the history of museums has been change. The use, function, and audience for these collections
have constantly evolved, and institutions that survive over centuries do so because they adapt to change. The first
museums were repositories for private collections of objects or curiosities and were open for only the social elite or
serious scholars. In the Middle Ages, churches and monasteries were the holders of religious relics, jewels, precious
metals, rare manuscripts, and fabrics, and The Uffizi collection was initially in a private residence. It was not until
the proliferation of universal exhibitions in the 19th century that the notion of a “public” institution, as we
understand it today was first introduced. In the 20th century, institutions like the Brooklyn Museum began to
shape more and more of their programs to satisfy the increasing need for public education. In light of the social
activism of the 1960s, museums were forced to reexamine the effectiveness of their public service.

In today’s world of digital communication, museums have to adapt once again to attract a newer and younger
audience (as their traditional audience is aging). This report Museum Brand Footprint by DMD discusses how museums
today may take advantage of these new conditions to increase their audience and effectiveness as cultural institutions.
The paper analyzes the current state of museums and their ability to deal with change by questioning directors of
institutions globally. It does this by focusing on the role new buildings or additions play in the future of their
institutions and how these administrators communicate the new conditions created by these buildings. The report
uncovers some fascinating facts about museums before making recommendations about how they can take this new

THE MUSEUM BRAND FOOTPRINT

The one constant in the history of museums has been change. The use, function, and
audience for these collections have constantly evolved, and institutions that survive over
centuries do so because they adapt to change.

role to the public. It begins for example by pointing out that it is often assumed that museums today want -and
often spend a great deal of effort creating - architectural landmarks because wealthy individuals prefer giving
money to something that gives them naming rights. While this is undoubtedly a consideration for any museum
looking to expand this is far too simplistic a view. The report quotes Florian Idenburg, formerly a Senior Associate
at SANAA, the Japanese architecture firm that designed the Glass Pavilion in Toledo, Ohio, "The interesting thing
about the Toledo Museum is that it's their clear mission to serve the community as it is the only civic building in a
large radius." Thus while museums and their directors increasingly need to think about funding and managing donors
this report makes clear that they still see their function primarily as a public one and that all those involved in the
creation of new museums should heed this at their own risk of irrelevance.

Further, while some museums clearly intend to build dramatic and iconic new buildings to house art - New York’s
Guggenheim is the best known of these - even this is more complicated that one might expect. DMD points
out that: “architecture is a major part of what the Guggenheim Museum offers to visitors, is in line with the
institution’s mission…to promote appreciation and understanding of modern and contemporary art and architecture,”
and that many visitors come to see the building before the art. But not all museums have the same idea about how
architecture can affect their institutional mandate or audience. Walker Art Center, known as an institution that
champions cutting-edge artists and ideas, did not want just an iconic building from its architects Herzog &
deMeuron, but one that reflects the non-traditional nature of the art center.

The insights that the paper highlights regarding museum thinking about architectural additions are important, but
the value of this report is its recommendations for how museums can communicate these changes to the public -
particularly to newer and less traditional audiences. It makes many obvious suggestions like reaching out with
stronger Web presences, and to engage with new technologies like YouTube, Second Life, and electronic commerce.
But perhaps its most powerful recommendations are those that suggest ways for museums to engage in community
outreach to a potential public, particularly to new ethnically and culturally diverse young populations. The Bilbao
Guggenheim for example realized that while tourists come in great numbers to see their Frank Gehry designed
building and impressive collection of art it was still important for them to engage local audiences to remain relevant.
The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Toledo Museum of Art both faced initial criticism from their local audiences perhaps
because of their adventurous architecture and spent time consulting with the local communities.

If museums want to grow and expand they would do well to read this report and heed the advice of the report’s
writers, who, it should be pointed out, are from the very generation that museums must engage, if they are to
successfully adapt to contemporary culture.

THE MUSEUM BRAND FOOTPRINT • PAGE 1

23%
of US museums, and 33% of
US art museums are engaged in a
capital campaign

50 %
of the museums engaged in
a capital campaign have begun
or completed building construc-
tion, renovation, or expansion

3.5 B
Respondents collectively
in the past 3 years

spent over $3.5B on building
construction and renovation in
the past 3 years

Capital
Campaigns, Building
Construction,
and Renovation*

24 M
The median costs of new
building construction,
renovation, and expansion
for art museums are $24M,
$18M, and $2M respectively

17,000
The median size of new building
construction, renovation, and
expansion is 17,000, 15,000, and
5,000 square feet respectively

$
400
The median costs per square foot
of new building construction,
renovation, and expansion for art
museums are $400, $365, and
$163 respectively

* Based on American Association of Museums’ 2005 survey of 800 museums nationwide.1

The median goal of capital campaigns are $10M for museums in general and $20M for
art museums. For general museums, the goal is 3 times the size of the endowment. For art
museums, the goal is 2.45 times the size of endowment, 6 times the operating expenses and
37 times the non-operating expenses.

Overview
The marketing and brand function of museums has changed from event-based marketing — centered on a
calendar of exhibitions, openings, and collections — to destination-based marketing. The museum as
destination is more than its holdings - it is a visitor must-see, a must-experience architectural landmark
defined as much by the celebrity of the architect as that of the artists on display. This new landscape, funded
by unprecedented capital campaigns, is forcing museums to define themselves through increasingly unique
architecture. The trend is seen around the world from small towns to big cities. We call this the
Museum Brand Footprint: the unique way museums are using architecture to define the museum as a
brand and a destination.

This paper, the second in DMD’s series in studying “brand footprints,” looks at the challenges, best practices,
and solutions facing eight museums from around the world at various stages of their brand evolution.
DMD was interested in the new brand stewardship role of the institutions’ leaders, the stresses that are
placed upon marketing communications departments, and the architects’ brand thought process. What we
discovered, and the reader will find in the case studies, is a host of useful branding and marketing strategies
which are applicable globally to museums that are beginning or in the midst of architectural projects.

.


DMD
Online Survey
Results

Expansion needs for
institutions surveyed-
in order of importance


88 %
To raise the profile
85 %
To augment exhibition space
73 %
To improve existing facilities

of the institution

65%
To transform the institution into a
54%
To increase and diversify revenue
46%
To stay relevant in the cultural
destination, increase scope of and audiences environment
activities offered, and attract new
groups of interest

38%
To create programming and
35%
To stay competitive with other
15%
To raise the profile of the city
exhibits that appeal to the museums
interests of the core audience

4%
Improve accessibility for tourists
4%
Endowment
4%
Get more of the permanent
collection on view and to create
more room for staff

4%
To expand space for research and
4%
To add storage space
4%
Address the facilities’ dated
improve laboratory space (behind- infrastructure
the-scenes)

1. A GLOBAL BRAND
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation looks into new architectural destinations
to expand its global presence

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation operates five museums in the US and Europe – New York
City, Las Vegas, Bilbao, Berlin, and Venice - and has partnerships with a number of institutions in
Europe. The Guggenheim is currently one of the best-known museum brands in the world. The foundation
has vowed to continue its global expansion strategy in order to reach out to new audiences and is plan-
ning to build a sixth museum, Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (GAD), which will be designed by Frank Gehry and
opened in 2012.2 GAD will be one of the four museums on Saadiyat Island, part of the large development
project that aims to turn the island into a high-end cultural tourist destination.

Goals: Challenges:
• Be the leading global museum with a collection of modern • Abu Dhabi currently is not considered a cultural destination.
and contemporary art, reaching international audiences Furthermore, it does not have an existing art establishment
through a network of museums and partnerships to train local artists and curators
• Stay ahead of global trends in art by expanding into emerging • GAD will be the first non-western museum in the Guggenheim
art markets, thus enhancing its audience and collection network, and the first one located in the Asia continent
• The foundation was previously retained to contribute to and/or
to manage feasibility studies for private and public institutions
interested in opening Guggenheim branches in the region –
in the West Kawloon district of Hong Kong, in Singapore, and
in Taichung, Taiwan. But none of these projects progressed
beyond the exploration phase


“The visitor experience in relation to art and architecture is central to our brand…
(Our architecture) is an asset that we are conscious of.”
- Laura Miller, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum NY, Director of Marketing

Redefining The Brand with Architecture tecture. Bilbao has become a major tourist destination
Architecture is a major part of what the after the museum opening. In 2005, eight years after
Guggenheim museums offer to visitors. This is in The Bilbao opening, the museum still drew more than 965,000
yearly visitors, more than half of whom were from
line with the institution’s mission, which is to
promote appreciation and understanding of
Effect abroad.3 A total of 1.36B Euros were pumped into
modern and contemporary art and architecture. Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has the local economy directly and indirectly. Thomas
been a major success in terms of Krens, Director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim
audience attraction and turned Foundation who recently announced that he was
Communicating the New Brand ‘Bilbao effect’ into an
stepping down, has been approached by 130 cities
The architecture of Guggenheim museums is a industry term.
to replicate the same success.4
major draw for audiences. Tourists make up 70-80% of
the visitors in the New York museum and often rank the Though some are skeptical of the destination potential, Abu
building higher than special exhibitions as a reason to visit. Dhabi is banking on four museums built by star architects to turn the
Access to the building to host events is a factor for some corporate island into a major cultural destination. The $27B complex is expected to
memberships. The 1st Fridays parties aimed at the younger audience draw 3M tourists between the 2012 opening and 2015.5 Another UAE
in New York are successful partly because they offer a unique chance city-state, Sharjah, has discovered the power of contemporary art in
for people to engage with the architecture after hours. creating a destination. The city’s 8th biennale will take place in 2007,
with the participation of more than 80 international artists, with a
Iconic architecture is the defining part of each museum’s visual heavy representation of those from Arab and Muslim origins.
identity and is used heavily in communications to engage various
audiences. Each museum’s website, advertisements, and membership Krens explains, “the issue isn’t about the number of buildings or exhibi-
communications feature the buildings. tions, but the number of people you directly engage with. If you add
up the visitors worldwide to Guggenheim Museums from last year
Though each museum’s architecture is different, there is a consistent alone, that’s 3 million people.” 6 Krens believes that, just like any good
global institutional identity that unites all of the Guggenheims. The brand, the Guggenheim has become “an article of faith” — consumers
Guggenheim Foundation has a contractual commitment with each trust that they will have a quality experience when they visit. Krens
museum on brand and identity. The Guggenheim museums all use the said that Guggenheim’s international success “has led to the tripling of
same font in their logo with a different color that subtly references attendance in New York.” Success is also seen in terms of enriching
the architecture. For example, the New York museum color is “Frank and augmenting the global collection due to international expansions.
Lloyd Wright Red.” In the last 15 years, through partnerships abroad, the Guggenheim
collection has doubled.7
The Guggenheim Bilbao is celebrating its tenth year in 2007 with
a major campaign to engage the local audiences in Spain. The New branches contribute their unique artistic points of view in order
campaign features people pictured with the building and calls the to create global experiences at Guggenheims around the world.
institution “your museum.” The advertisements, in Basque and Exhibitions shown in New York such as the 2005 exhibition of Basque
Spanish, run on radio, in print, on outdoor signage, and as guerilla sculpture Jorge Oteiza originated in Bilbao. The foundation's international
signage around town. There is an elaborate website where visitors alliances helped with finances as well. Exhibitions appearing in NY
can write congratulatory notes to the museum, read others’ notes, were largely sponsored by international corporations, foundations and
design and send e-cards, and set reminders for the busy schedule of government agencies. In 2005, the Mexico Tourism Board supported
anniversary events around town. (The Aztec Empire), and in 2006 the State Corporation for Spanish
Cultural Action Abroad supported (Spanish Painting: From El Greco to
The Results Picasso) for example. Management fees and operating income from the
Guggenheim Bilbao has been a major success in terms of audience other branches are also revenue sources for the foundation.
attraction and turned “Bilbao effect” into an industry term used to
characterize a surge of cultural visitors drawn with the help of archi-


“The interesting thing about the Toledo Museum is that it’s their clear mission to serve the
community as it is the only civic building in a large radius”
- Florian Idenburg, Former Senior Associate at SANAA, in charge of the Glass Pavilion Project

CLEARLY LOCAL

2. Toledo Museum of Art uses
architecture to emphasize its
commitment to community
and openness

Toledo Museum of Art was founded in 1900 by Edward Drummond Libbey, a glass manufacturer who
moved his business to Toledo and became responsible for turning Toledo into a major center for glass
production. Glass has been a part of the museum’s history since the beginning. In 2000, in preparation for
its centennial anniversary a year later, the museum decided to commission a building to house its glass
collection and glass-making programs. Designed by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryue Nishizawa of the Japanese
firm SANAA, the 76,000 square foot Glass Pavilion opened in August 2006.

Goals: Challenges:
• Celebrate Toledo’s history, and elevate appreciation and inter- • The museum was searching for ways to attract new and
est in the art of glass making diverse audiences
• Showcase the museum’s commitment to the community and • There was early opposition to the project in the community;
public accessibility the historic Old West End district homeowners were worried
• Present the glass collection in a distinct way without clashing about the design changing the identity of their neighborhood
with the larger Toledo Museum of Art institutional identity


“It was the decision of the museum leaders in the year 2000 to create a location not only
made of glass, but to house the glass collection and juxtapose it with the creation of glass in
a studio setting. So [during] the visitor experience, you could see the history of glass, see the
importance of glass in architecture and see the creation of glass all at once.”
- Jordan Rundgren, Director of Public Relations

Redefining The Brand with Architecture "Preview Week" of events leading up to the public inauguration. They
included local and regional newspapers and magazines, billboards, and
With free admission since opening, the Toledo Museum of Art has
local television network spots. The museum also partnered with the
always been committed to public access. To demonstrate this commit-
local daily newspaper to produce a special section devoted to the Glass
ment, the SANAA design is inviting, open, and non-intimidating.
Pavilion (including design, architects, construction, facilities, offerings,
The glass façade reveals the story of glass, from production to the
collection, etc.).
finished artwork.

With the help of a local public relations firm, the museum focused a
“…with Toledo being the glass capital of the Midwest, the extensive
majority of their publicity efforts on national media relations. The two-
glass collection within the larger museum, and the glass programs that
year strategy worked in three phases: construction/trade publications,
are held within the Toledo Museum of Art’s School of Art and Design…
architectural writers, and travel/fine art publications. Currently, the
The desire was to combine these within a museum and make it a part
museum website has a Glass Pavilion section that targets donors and
of the larger campus.” – Florian Idenburg
visitors, and highlights positive press mentions from major national
magazines. The website features the building with people inside inter-
The pavilion is situated within a museum complex that includes the
acting with the art or public programs, echoing that accessibility to
Beaux-Art style original museum and the Frank Gehry-designed Center
the people of Toledo was the primary goal of the Glass Pavilion.
for Visual Arts. It sits across the street from the picturesque Old West
End district, a 25-block historic area of Victorian-era homes. The glass
façade reflects images of the surrounding buildings in a way to pay
The Results
Though the attendance increase is not projected because the museum
tribute. Jordan Rundgren explains: "it has activated our campus. People
is free, an estimated 10,000 more visitors per month (30% increase)
feel a little freer to travel in between the buildings and realize that the
come through the doors.
museum is expanding, that it's much larger than they might realize.
While the Glass Pavilion is minimalist in its design, it does have a very
The docent-led tours of the Glass Pavilion and the glassblowing
nice reflective quality, both literally and figuratively. It integrates itself
demonstrations have been consistently filled to capacity. The interest is
into the campus to enhance the entire institution."
so high that the museum is adding additional glassblowing demonstra-
tions in summer 2007.
Communicating the New Brand
There was early opposition to the project in the community. The his- Overall positive reviews of the building turned the museum into a
toric Old West End district homeowners were worried about the design destination for the national and international architectural tourists
changing the identity of their neighborhood. This was overcome which pleased the museum and the city officials, who saw the project
through vast community outreach. Museum leaders participated in as mainly a facility for the local community.
community church meetings and local TV programs to address the
public interest in the proposed design. Ultimately, upon seeing the final The city is enjoying the building’s popularity, which drew tourists from
building, the locals were pleased. The Glass Pavilion is now quite other parts of the United States and the world. Florian Idenburg
popular within the community. explains: “I think [the building] is appreciated on two levels – one on a
local level and the other on a global architectural level. I think the
For the opening of the Glass Pavilion, the museum did not launch a community sees this as well. They never expected to have people fly in
new graphic identity, but all of the advertising and collateral for the to Toledo to see the building, but people do.”
opening events included the silhouette of a glassblower and pipe,
accompanied by phrases such as "Toledo's Newest Hot Spot," "Heart of
the Glass City," and "Be Blown Away." Advertising centered on the


3.

“(The goal) was a blend of looking forward to future audiences while also respecting
our tradition.” Kim Mitchell, Director of Communications


LARGER AND DIVERSIFIED
The Museum of Modern Art expands with present, and future, brand goals

New York’s Museum of Modern Art embarked on the most ambitious building project in its history in
the early 1990s. In 1997, the board selected Yoshio Taniguchi for the design. The new MoMA, a
630,000 square foot facility, opened its doors to the public in November 2004 in what the institution calls
its “most extensive redefinition since its founding.” 8

Goals: Challenges:
• Keep the museum relevant through the next century, and • MoMA was perceived to be an elitist institution
maintain a presence worldwide while respecting its history • With younger institutions on the cutting edge of the
• Reinforce the museum’s mission to be a resource and a place contemporary art environment, MoMA lacked the prominent
for education and innovative position that it desired
• Make the brand more welcoming to, and inclusive of, different
types of audiences
• Diversify the ways in which the museum interacts with its
audience and with the city

Redefining The Brand with Architecture The new design reinforces MoMA’s desire to be a dynamic institution in
the area of contemporary art. Previously, the visitors started their tour
Taniguchi famously said of the new design “If you give me enough
in the galleries of the older modern works and then made their way
money, I’ll design you a beautiful building. If you give me more, I’ll
into the contemporary galleries last. In the new building, focus on the
make it disappear.” 9
contemporary works is emphasized by the placement of the large
contemporary galleries on the first floor, across from the main entry
The new building was designed to make the institution more welcoming
point. The contemporary galleries are designed without columns to
to visitors while also blending into the city. The building has multiple
address the specific needs of larger contemporary pieces, as opposed
points of entry (on both 53rd and 54th streets) which remove the
to the more intimate scale of the galleries upstairs where the permanent
stress of a single, large main entry point with long lines. The lobby,
collection is shown. Also included are soundproof galleries for new
which is open to the public, serves not only as an entry point to the
media and video. Temporary exhibition spaces on the top floor are flexible
galleries, theatres, restaurant, stores, and garden, but also as a
enough to allow in-depth explorations of artists’ works. Overall exhibition
mid-block passageway.
space has nearly doubled.
Inside, Stephen Rustow said the “design does not only aim to create
The new building also allows for a more dynamic explanation of the
new iconic spaces, but also to redefine the already existing iconic
history of modern art. Previously galleries were designed like beads on
spaces, such as reinforcing the centrality of the garden,” referring
a string, going from one ‘ism’ to another. The new design allows for a
to the sculpture garden designed by Philip Johnson.
non-linear narrative, with possibilities to present different concurrent
perspectives within the history of modern art. For example, the post-
The building is conceived as an “inside” building.10 From the outside, it
impressionist gallery in the new design has two exits – one leading to
is understated, with a façade that can easily be overlooked. Inside, the
cubism, the other to Fauvism, which was once not considered to be
building offers unique city perspectives, especially the skylight on the
of equal significance to Cubism, but has since been reached to
sixth floor, to remind visitors that they are in the heart of midtown
higher significance.12
New York. “I want people to know they are in New York City,” Taniguchi
said of the design.11


“The program reflected a wish to redefine the way in which the public engaged with and saw
the MoMA. They did not want it to be a rupture or something that would seem to break with
the past, but they wanted it to be an affirmation of who they were and what they were.”
Steven Rustow, Sr. Associate Principal for KPF, the Executive Architect

In addition, the new eight-story Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman including the MoMA store and the information desk in the Manhattan
Education Center and Research Building features significantly more location. Maps were also printed in newspapers and magazines, giving
room for public programs and houses a library, museum archives, directions and restaurant suggestions. Bus tours were organized to
curatorial offices, classrooms and The Celeste Bartos Theater. bring visitors from Manhattan to MoMA Queens and other art institutions
in the borough.
Museum Director Glenn Lowry said of the new MoMA: “the ambition
was to ensure that we constantly surprise visitors. Regularity kills the MoMA also made a considerable effort to establish relationships with
experience. We wanted more nuance, a less linear sense of art history, local cultural, business, and community groups, as well as libraries and
by encouraging serendipitous discoveries and juxtapositions.” 13 universities. Educational lectures and meetings were organized to
include residents of all ages.
During Construction A limited part of the MoMA’s collection was on view in Queens.
During construction in Manhattan between 2002 and 2004, MoMA Meanwhile, 200 of the best pieces from the painting and sculpture
closed its Manhattan facilities and relocated to Queens. This transitional collection traveled to Houston and Berlin. These exhibitions served as
space provided an opportunity to keep MoMA top-of-mind and a plat- a platform to increase excitement for MoMA’s new building. There
form to communicate the changes that were to come. The museum were interviews with the Director in Houston. MoMA also hosted an
recognized that people viewed the new space as very much a preview event in Berlin. This was significant in building relationships with local
to its future identity. The MoMA Builds exhibition, shown at MoMA decision makers.
Manhattan in Spring 2002, showcased project details for MoMA
Queens and the Manhattan building.

The Queens museum was heavily promoted. Prior to the opening, hard-
hat tours were organized for the press. The opening was marked by a
huge event, accompanied by press events in Los Angeles, London, and
Berlin. Previously an unfamiliar destination to tourists and New Yorkers
alike, MoMA went to great lengths in promoting Queens as a destina-
tion. Maps were printed and distributed at several locations in the city,


Reopening MoMA Manhattan pictures of “inside, outside, paintings, sculptures, prints,
Influencers and press were engaged through hard-hat objects, people, furniture, forms, lines, stairs, walls,
tours. These were group, or in the case of VIPs,
private one-on-one, tours of the construction
The New windows, bathroom sinks” has hundreds of members
and more than 1,000 photos posted.
guided by the Director or the architects. MoMA
stopped the tours in summer of 2004, before the
MoMA
For the first time in its history, At the reopening, the new admission price of $20
November 2004 opening, to preserve an element MoMA’s sign on 53rd Street reads drew a lot of criticism about MoMA’s commit-
of surprise. “MoMA” instead of ‘Museum of
ment to public access. To prove their commitment,
Modern Art’. This shows a desire
to brand the institution as MoMA introduced several reduced admission or
To mark the opening, the museum held press events
in New York, London, Los Angeles, Berlin and Tokyo. people know it, making it free admission criteria. In addition, MoMA designated
ºmore approachable. a free period on Fridays. Every Friday, visitors can go
The museum never had held press events in other
countries before, but it was significant in reaching the into MoMA for free from 4-8pm as part of an event currently
editor-level local press, who would have commissioned the story, sponsored by Target.
but would not have traveled to New York themselves to cover the
event. It also gave these key local media members the opportunity to The Results
ask the architects and the Director about the project.
MoMA announced the economic impact of the expansion to be $2B
from mid-2004 to mid-2007.14 Paid attendance has increased, as well
Communications Now as the number of non-paying visitors. Attendance grew from 1.5M in
The museum’s new identity is contemporary, fitting with its new 2000 to 2.5M in 2006. Of the current attendance of 2.5M a year,
design. For the first time in its history, MoMA’s sign on 53rd street 600,000 entered the museum for free, including children and visitors
reads “MoMA” instead of “Museum of Modern Art”. This shows a desire that came in during the Free Friday evening hours. Within the first year
to brand the institution as people know it, making it more approach- after the re-opening, 25% of visitors were from the New York metro
able, as well capitalizing on the international recognition of the area, 29% from elsewhere in the United States, and 46% from
acronym which transcends language barriers. MoMA features the new international locations.15 Visitors also stay at the museum longer. Post
architecture in its communication materials, not focusing on the re-opening, visitors are spending more than 2.5 hours inside versus
design elements of the new building, but rather showing visitors inter- 1 to 1.5 hours before the expansion.16 Membership has also increased.
The summer before the opening, memberships were at 33,000. The year
acting with pieces of the collection to highlight their engagement.
after opening, the membership is on average 100,000.

MoMA holds events called Pop Rallies every other month. These events
Flexibility of the design gave way to a unique contemporary work in
feature musical acts, performances, film screenings, receptions, and
February 2007 by Doug Aitken, called Sleepwalkers. New York Times
special viewings of exhibitions at moderate prices, targeting young writer Roberta Smith called the piece “videotecture” or “archivideo.” 17
New Yorkers. Other diversity programs include events for teenagers in It involved projecting a video about the life of urbanites on to six
public schools, grandparents’ day events, and high school student- facades of the MoMA building. This helped the museum to engage
curated shows. MoMA is also active in new media, user generated New Yorkers in a unique and new way; the piece could be enjoyed
content, and social network sites. MoMA has a branded channel on from the street and from the top of office buildings around the
YouTube, called MoMAvideos, which features videos on selected exhibition museum. Often visited during the day, the MoMa inspired more night-
previews, public programs, performances, and exhibition installations. time visits by drawing audiences who wanted to see the piece in the
glowing darkness of a New York City night.
MoMA’s new building has inspired user generated content on social
networking sites. On Flickr, a group that encourages people to post


4. REDEFINED
The Art Institute of Chicago refreshes its image with a new,
green wing

After several years of planning and fund-raising, AIC broke ground on the Renzo Piano-designed
Modern Wing in 2005. The new 264,000 square foot building due to finish in 2009 will house the
contemporary and modern collections of the AIC, as well as the architecture and photography collections.

Goals:
• Reposition the museum as a contemporary brand in order to gain a broader audience
• Create greater public accessibility to the modern and contemporary collections

Challenges:
• AIC has long been known as a historicist museum due to the overwhelming popularity of its collection of 19th century French art. Though
AIC had strong modern and contemporary collections, the museum had a fusty image and was not thought of as a major destination for
modern and contemporary art, especially compared to younger institutions that focused only on modern and contemporary art
• With the contemporary and modern art previously in two buildings, it was not easy for visitors to navigate the collections
• The original Beaux-Art style building from 1893 represented the old establishment and was perceived as intimidating, elitist, and closed

Redefining The Brand with Architecture The proposed design of the Modern Wing will open “a new front door”
Continuing Chicago’s history of forward-looking architecture, the to the museum on the adjacent Millennium Park by way of a bridge
Modern Wing will sit across from Frank Gehry’s Pritzker Pavilion and designed by Renzo Piano. Millennium Park, which opened in July 2004,
will be a testament to the museum’s dedication to the new and fresh. is widely popular among Chicago citizens and drew two million people
The building will be Renzo Piano’s largest museum and will draw a lot in the first six months after opening.18 The park’s diverse audience will
of international attention to AIC. Renzo Piano’s Modern Wing is be invited to take the bridge onto the roof of the Modern Wing where
designed to add a contemporary identity to AIC by unifying the mod- they will be able to enjoy park and Lake Michigan views, and access the
ern and contemporary collections under one roof, and bringing them museum restaurant and sculpture terrace. By creating a bridge onto
under the spotlight. Previously, the modern and contemporary collec- the popular park, the museum will broaden its audience and create
tions were scattered over three floors in two buildings, which taxed the greater engagement with the citizens of Chicago.
visitor. The new building will bring them together and also give space
to photography, architecture and design, film, and video.


“We have been seen as a very traditional, encyclopedic fine arts museum. With the opening
of the Modern Wing, we hope the museum as a whole will draw a larger and a more diverse
audience.” Anne Henry, Associate Director of Communications

The institution is making headlines with the green design of the new AIC has used the project to engage the museum audience. Starting
building. AIC is seeking a silver certification for Renzo Piano’s environ- May 2006, and for six months, AIC showed an exhibition called Zero
mental design, which will integrate environmental features. The most Gravity: The Art Institute, Renzo Piano, and Building for a New Century.
memorable feature of the building is “the flying carpet” sun screen on The exhibit presented the AIC building’s development and the archi-
the top which will filter and welcome natural light to the 3rd floor tect’s process. The current project section of the website mostly targets
galleries. The Flying Carpet will save electricity consumption, reducing potential donors to support it. Communications aims at providing info
it by 20% when compared to a building with conventional systems.19 consistently across the wide range of stakeholders at the right times.

The new, light, and transparent design will be more inviting and less With the reopening, the communications department will look to
intimidating to the visitors than the original building. The glass curtain leverage publicity of the new building to attract visitors. About the
wall on the northern façade will be a contrast to the closed architec- LEED certification for the new building, Art Institute of Chicago’s Anne
ture of the current building. The new building will also offer ways to Henry says: “We realize that respectful and reasonable green policies
enjoy views from the inside, bringing nature and natural light into are increasingly important, and we would certainly do our best to
the museum. incorporate any green components that we can [in communications],
enhancing and complimenting the many green elements in the actual
The new wing will provide more space to reevaluate the way art is architecture and function of the Modern Wing."
showcased and will allow more room for education, family, and
student programs, further creating opportunities for AIC to diversify The Results
its audience. The new education center will enable a 30% increase in In 2004, due to the opening of Millennium Park, AIC’s attendance
educational activities and serve more than 1,500 children and students increased by 13% to 1.6M.21 When the Modern Wing opens, the museum
a day. The education center, which will also include a teacher resource attendance is expected to be at 1.8M annually.22 The expectation is
room and a family center, will be located on the first floor of the new that, of the 3M Millennium Park visitors a year, if 20% cross the bridge,
building, easily accessible by the front door and near a special school it will bring in 600,000 people. If half of those visitors then attend the
bus drop-off.20 museum, 300,000 people will have come through the doors from
Millennium Park.23
With the opening of the Modern Wing, the museum as a whole will Though the exact projections are not available for press yet, the museum
create a new identity with a contemporary look and feel and a focus expects activity on all levels to increase, from membership and attendance
on AIC as an encyclopedic museum with ten premier collections in to programming and education. The museum hopes to attract a variety
varying areas. of new audiences to the museum in the next few years.

The museum has also seen an increase in publicity and positive
response from the City of Chicago since the announcement.


5.

“I built MoCA to help fuse ideas and broaden the minds of local, regional, and interna-
tional arts enthusiasts. I wanted to showcase the talents of international artists, as well
as Chinese modern design under one roof ” 24 Samuel Kung, Director


A NEWCOMER
A new brand is born in Shanghai

MoCA Shanghai opened in 2005 as the city’s first independent, non-profit art institution. Endorsed by the
municipal government, the museum is funded by Shanghai-born, Hong Kong-based jade dealer, Samuel
Kung, who is also the museum’s chairman and acting director.25 Located in the People’s Park, the 19,400 square
foot building was previously built as a greenhouse and has since been redesigned by architect Liu Yuyang.

Goals: Challenges:
• Make contemporary art accessible and approachable • Launching and establishing a new brand in China, where there
on local level exist powerful state institutions and very few private ones
• Become the most notable institution for Chinese contemporary • Attracting the attention of famous Chinese contemporary
art not only in Shanghai, but also in all of Asia and beyond artists to a small private start-up museum, despite competition
• Establish itself internationally through partnerships and from more established museums
exchange, as well as locally by increasing Shanghai residents’ • Attracting a large audience of Shanghai residents to the
engagement through increased membership and public museum to ensure long-term health of the institution
programs

Redefining The Brand with Architecture The museum offers attractive amenities and public spaces to draw in
MoCA Shanghai’s glass façade makes the building reflect light on a and engage visitors. The glass pavilion and the roof deck on the third
sunny day and allows the activity inside to be on full view when it’s floor offer panoramic views of the park and Shanghai skyline, while
dark. In Yuyang’s opinion, “the design of MoCA Shanghai isn't trying to the rooftop restaurant attracts a hip Shanghai crowd. The museum
create a manifesto for art or architecture, but rather just to tell a sim- uses these spaces for educational lectures and events aimed at
ple story of how an abandoned glass building was transformed into a audience development. The building also has a lecture room where
new public space, a story akin to “Cinderella” for architecture—turning public programs are conducted.
an average-looking building into the "crown jewel" in the heart
of Shanghai.” Communicating the New Brand
MoCA Shanghai does not advertise, relying instead on public relations
Visitors are required to “meander” through People’s Park to enter the for publicity. For wider awareness and engagement, the museum uses
building. Mr. Yuyang mentions that the front plaza was redesigned as its facilities in a number of ways to attract the broader public. The bar
an extension of the museum and “the result was an integrated space
and restaurant in the building attract people who would not necessarily
between museum and the park.” From the inside, floor-to-ceiling glass
be interested in contemporary art. Another way of building interest is
walls make one feel surrounded by the nature in the park in the middle
to focus on education programs for children who will be tomorrow’s
of busy Shanghai. The experience inside the museum is intimate
enough so that one can focus solely on the art. visitors, donors, and artists. Youth programs are available for university
students and children programs are affiliated with schools, including
Although the glass walls would let in far too much light for sensitive the school for under-privileged children of migrant workers. The venue
artworks or video projections, it was important to keep the museum is also used for corporate events that generate press and awareness.
design “open” for the visitor experience. The museum also has 6,000
square feet of enclosed gallery space. The interior design is flexible and
the museum builds temporary walls for each exhibition as necessary.
Furthermore a steel and glass ramp connects two principal exhibition
floors, “allowing for a circumscribed and ascending viewing of large-
scale installations in the center of the exhibition space,” explains Yuyang.


“When the building has become a part of the city, how art enters one’s life is not limited to
the physical exhibition space. Rather, it’s how the museum as an institution brings a certain
culture to the city. Architecture has certainly played a crucial role to the success of MoCA
Shanghai’s position as an institution. What the architecture provided, besides being a shelter
for the art, is the possibility of new events and new culture being created.”
- Liu Yuyang, Executive Architect

The Results
The government officials of the Huangpu District, who initially had
an alternative use of the greenhouse space in mind, decided to grant
permission to Kung to operate MoCA for 20 years. The museum,
considered young and fresh, fills a void in the contemporary art scene for
local audiences, and international museums and artists looking to partner
with Chinese institutions. With 85% of art sold in China today being
modern or contemporary, the museum occupies an important niche.26

The Guggenheim selected MoCA Shanghai as one of the two venues in
China to show its traveling exhibition Art in America: 300 Years of
Innovation for May – June 2007. The show previously was in Beijing’s
National Art Museum of China from February to April 2007. In refer-
ence to these partnerships, Liu Yuyang says, “We think the design must
have played a role to give the partner institutions a certain level of
confidence.” The museum hopes to also form strong ties with major
Chinese contemporary artists in order to create exhibitions that can be
exported abroad.

There are currently 500 museum members, a group made up of mostly
Public programs like film screenings and artist lectures are relatively university students. Current daily attendance is about 75-350, depending
well attended for such a young organization. Membership is encouraged on events in the museum. Approximately 300-500 people attend open-
through special events at the bar area. The museum recently organized ings. Admission and involvement has been increasing, but Samuel Kung
jazz evenings for members. cautions: “We are still young and new to the public,” and that there is
a lot of work to be done to have the museum support itself. Admission
fees, space rentals for corporate events, and the restaurant are bringing
in revenue. But the museum would like to build its audience (member-
ships are key) in order to attract corporate and private donations, a
foreign practice in China. The museum is also considering merchandising.


6. RENAISSANCE
Art Gallery of Ontario is turning Toronto into a new cultural destination

Art Gallery of Ontario launched an institutional rebranding campaign in 2002 called Transformation
AGO, promising to bring a new building, new art, new ideas, and a new future to AGO. At the heart
of this campaign lay the redesign and expansion of their current building by Canadian-born architect Frank
Gehry. Construction began in 2005 and AGO will be fully closed to the public for the last year of the
construction, leading up to the new facilities re-opening late Fall 2008.

Goals: Challenges:
• Place AGO which has one of the largest collections in North • Toronto has been historically behind Montreal and Vancouver
America on the cultural map as a major tourist destination. After the 2003 SARS outbreak,
• Attract cultural tourists to Toronto tourism diminished so much so that, in 2006, the number of
• Make the museum more relevant and welcoming to the tourists lagged below September 11, 2001 levels 27
people of Toronto • Despite its’ popularity in the greater Toronto area, some in the
neighborhood did not find the museum a neighborhood
resource and had the stereotype of it being distant and elitist

Redefining The Brand with Architecture The museum wished to preserve its existing footprint, but also to expand
exhibition space and reinvigorate the institution with a fresh image.
The project is part of a bigger effort by the city of Toronto to reposi-
To do the job, AGO selected Frank Gehry. This will be Frank Gehry’s first
tion the city as a cultural destination, sometimes referred to as “the
project in Canada, it also happens to be in his native city, down the
cultural renaissance of Toronto.” Royal Conservatory of Music, Royal
street from where he grew up. Gehry said that he took his cues from
Ontario Museum, The Canadian Opera Company, National Ballet School,
the museum’s surroundings and that he is “very interested in making a
Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art, and Ontario College of Art and
building that fits into” the neighborhood.28 Frank Gehry’s selection is
Design have all commissioned expansion projects to renowned archi-
sure to boost civic pride and help reposition the museum in the hearts
tects in an effort to redo the city’s entire cultural infrastructure.
and minds of the Toronto residents. The new design will enable more
Canadian art to be on view, with total exhibition space increasing by 47%.


Most importantly, the design will make the muse- Art Gallery groups range from current and prospective AGO
um more transparent, therefore less intimidating
and more welcoming. The exterior glass canopy,
of Ontario Members and visitors to volunteers and campaign
supporters.” The Web is also used as a major
and the redesigned entrance that aligns with the “Our objective is to support, via platform to keep up communication with AGO’s
Walker Court (the historic heart of the museum), new media, a more transparent audience during the yearlong closure.
institution that is relevant to a
will bring in more light and make the building feel diverse community of
more open. stakeholders” - Ian Rubenzahl, The AGO microsite dedicated to the expansion proj-
Manager of New Media Design ect is dense with information separated into sections
AGO aims to become a multi-purpose destination, and on each tenet of the expansion (new art, new building,
to diversify its audience in the process. The building will new ideas, new future). The site speaks to a wide audience of
offer a place to enjoy city views and will house the shop, restaurant, stakeholders and offers a lot of content, creating a hub for project-
café, and a free contemporary art space, all open until late. This new related information. It also provides visitors with information about
addition will bring life into the museum after dark, creating greater Frank Gehry, construction updates, webcam and construction photos, a
opportunities for engagement with a hip young audience in Toronto. detailed section on finances, timeline, economic benefits, and an option
to contribute online.
The new AGO will improve the experience of enjoying art inside the
museum. The design will allow more art to be on view and appeal to The new media extensions of the AGO site works to engage the muse-
different interests: Galleries for Canadian art, contemporary art, um’s diverse stakeholders. The blog (www.artmatters.ca) exists to speak
European art, photography, prints, and drawings will be expanded. to various audiences and learn more about how the collections reverber-
The interior is designed so that visitors can circulate with more ease. ate with them. Visitors can express their views, read others’ statements,
Furthermore, the museum is investigating making more of its click through the Art Matters blog, or listen to Art Matters podcasts. The
operations - art storage displays, conservation, education, and podcast feed has been used to experiment with different kinds of audio
research areas - visible to visitors. content, from public lectures, panels, and interviews to podcast tours of
exhibitions. The museum is also experimenting with placing the blog on
Communicating the New Brand the gallery floor with a kiosk and URL bookmarks that invite feedback
Transformation AGO and the Art Matters Campaign and participation.
AGO launched a transition brand called Transformation AGO to
announce changes at the organization and build interest in the opening. Then there is Collectionx.museum, an attempt to redefine virtual collec-
As a part of Transformation AGO, Art Gallery of Ontario started a cam- tions and exhibitions. Not only can users create their own exhibitions
paign called Art Matters to talk about the role of art in people’s lives. from AGO’s collections, but they can upload their own collections and
invite others to participate. The site employs RSS and podcasting to
The Importance of Online Marketing extend participation beyond the website itself.
Ian Rubenzahl, Manager of New Media Design at AGO, explains: “Our
objective is to support, via new media, a more transparent institution In addition, AGO has employed social networks such as Flickr to extend
that is relevant to a diverse community of stakeholders. The target public participation around exhibitions such as In Your Face: The People’s
Portrait Project (http://www.flickr.com/groups/artmatters/). This group
has more than 800 members who have posted close to 8,000 photos.

"(The strategic plan) is forming the way we think into the future, it's forming the way we
collect in our collecting areas, it's forming the way we will plan our interpretation and
how we engage with the public and how we create a visitor welcome to embrace both
international audiences and our domestic audiences… It's beyond the building walls"
- Antonietta Mirabelli, Manager of Communications


“The renaissance in Toronto with all the new cultural buildings, has raised the awareness of
culture, and it’s going to help us, it already started to, in broadening our audience.”
- Arlene Madell, Director of Marketing and Visitor Services

Engage The Community Internal Communications
Soon after the project launched, AGO realized that, while the museum AGO set up an intranet site that is a one-stop source for all project-
received positive response about the project from the greater Toronto related questions. The site is updated daily and is the first thing the
area and tourism audiences, a mechanism for feedback from the imme- staff sees when they log on every day. Staff can submit questions
diate community around the museum had not been fully engaged. The anonymously, as well as read the strategic plan, get information on
museum quickly formed a community consultation team to build a rela- the pension plan, and catch up on the activities of other departments.
tionship with the 10,000 neighbors living around the museum. Beverley In addition, there are quarterly staff meetings for project updates.
Carret, Manager of Government and Community Relations, explains that
her goal with the community outreach is to: "reinforce that AGO is a AGO ran ads in major print media that featured AGO supporters -
community destination, something that neighbors should consider to be a donors, docents, volunteers, and artists – and their statements on why
place that they would like to drop by, like a library or a community center." they thought art mattered. There was also Art Matters themed signage
outside the museum.
AGO’s Frank Gehry exhibition, shown February to May 2006, aimed to
present the AGO project as an important part of the architect’s career. The Results
After Frank Gehry unveiled the schematic design of the new AGO, the The community efforts have so far paid off – most community members
museum engaged in the consultation process with a working group of are supporters of the project. Membership increased by 4,000 during
neighbors to help refine the design. Initially, periodic community meetings the construction phase due to built-up excitement. Total membership
attracted up to 100 attendees. Now that the design is under way and is now at 54,000. The museum expects the yearly attendance to
the community is well informed, these meetings are held three times increase to 800,000 visits in the first 12 months of operation after the
a year, and attract a few dozen people. launch, settling to 650,000 visits annually by 2010/11.

AGO created a neighbors bulletin that is emailed to a list of 300 monthly. Toronto is being promised “major economic benefits” as a result of the
The bulletin includes a brief construction update, as well as a list of upcom- project due to increased tourism, new jobs, and attracted investment.
ing events that include walking tours, art exhibitions of works by area The expansion alone is estimated to have pumped $100M into the local
school children, and neighborhood meetings. The team also set up a hotline economy, $96M in local labor income, $54M in tax revenues, 245 new
for locals to call with community issues or questions about the project. jobs, and $12.7M in new tourism revenues. The project has solidified
the cultural renaissance in Toronto and garnered many articles
The museum installed programs to attract some of the community promoting it as a destination. AGO has also inspired an effort in
groups that were previously underrepresented. Through the community Montreal to reclaim the cultural status.
membership program, tenant representatives were selected for each
housing group and given up to five family memberships to distribute Collection-x just launched a couple of months ago and has hundreds
within their communities. These representatives in turn became an of registered users so far. The artmatters.ca podcasts are downloaded
important bridge, communicating the AGO goals to the tenants and 2,000-4,000 times a month and the blog receives about 30,000 visits
bringing any of their concerns back to AGO. a month.

AGO also started a pilot program to reach out to the newest Toronto
residents. Each week for 4 months, AGO representatives attended a
new Canadian Citizenship ceremony and offered free one-year family
memberships to new citizens.

As a part of the Art Matters effort, the public could submit their Art
Matters statements in the lobby when the museum was partially closed.
Teams made up of 45 volunteers called “AGO is a GO” attend local
festivals and engage people in the project and give out Art Matters pins.
Also during the time that AGO will stay closed -until late 2008- the
museum will keep its education program active, offering classes to
adults and children.


7. A CLEAN SLATE
Miami Art Museum spearheads change in downtown Miami

In 2001, with the support of the citizens of Miami, Miami Art Museum (MAM) embarked on a new building
project that will be a part of Museum Park — a 29-acre area on Biscayne Bay that will include MAM and
Miami Museum of Science and Planetarium. $100M of the $220M project cost is being paid by the county
bond that was issued for the project. In September 2006, the museum announced its selection of Swiss
architects Herzog & de Meuron to design the 120,000 square foot new building, due to open in 2012.

Goals: Challenges:
• Reinvent current identity to become the central art institution • MAM’s collection is relatively small and needs to be expanded
in Miami, one that is notable nationally and internationally before the new museum opens
• Get visitors to associate MAM with “centrality” – both • Downtown Miami is not a cultural destination
physically at the heart of the city and artistically at the
epicenter of art in Miami

“We have got to pull our strengths together to create a destination and a brand that conveys
the substance of a destination to our audience”
- Richard Townsend, Deputy Director for External Affairs


“What Miami really needs is a museum that can do more in one place and be more of
a home for the city.”
- Terence Riley, Director

Redefining The Brand with Architecture MAM is bringing the Miami community into this exciting process.
Prior to the expansion, Miami Art Museum occupied about 24,000 There was a meeting in October of 2007 to present conceptual
square feet of space. The new facility will increase its size five times, to drawings and solicit public support and feedback. Architectural plans
about 125,000 square feet - a size more suitable for the kind of focal for the building were unveiled at a show prior to Art Basel 2007, which
civic art establishment that MAM wants to become. The larger museum showed the evolution and development of the design, while involving
will enable the curators to tell the history of modern and contemporary the community.
art in a more complete way. It will also house temporary exhibitions,
an education complex with a library, an auditorium, classrooms, and The Results
workshops. In addition, the museum will feature amenities, like restaurants Richard Townsend, Deputy Director for External Affairs at the Miami
and cafes, to turn it into a destination and an engine for social and Art Museum said that the museum offers powerful potential to
economic change in downtown Miami. become an engine for social and economic change for the city. The
expected economic impact of Museum Park is $2B, with 1,700 jobs created
The museum’s other main goal is to gather under one roof the disparate annually.29 The opening of MAM, together with Miami Science Museum
strands of artistic endeavor in Miami including art produced by local and Carnival Center for the Performing Arts, is expected to cement
artists, art collected by local collectors, and the local art market. MAM downtown Miami as a cultural hub - a major goal for the downtown
wants a larger footprint to provide a more centralized artistic experience revitalization. The expected attendance following the opening is between
in Miami, accommodate the large amounts of visitors coming to 200,000 and 250,000 a year.
Miami for art, and serve Miami as it becomes a more populous and
cosmopolitan city. The community consultation process has begun as well. Though there
were some doubts raised in the Miami art community about the possi-
The most ambitious task for the new Miami Art Museum is to build a bility of MAM filling its future size, the city approved a grant to buy
cohesive collection almost from scratch, attracting donations from pri- the land for the new museum space, and plans are moving forward.
vate collections to the public domain. The museum hopes that the new An earlier bond oversight board meeting can be seen on YouTube.
building will convince private collectors to donate, presenting a unique
opportunity to build the architecture and the collection together. In December 2006, MAM announced a new partnership with Miami
Art Central (MAC) - a local private art collection specializing in Latin
Communicating the New Brand American contemporary art owned by Ella Fontanals-Cisneros. The
Miami Art Museum communications will be tasked with creating the partnership enables MAM to present at the museum more cutting edge
kind of art institution that does not currently exist in Miami. A new contemporary art programs and has led to MAC being folded into MAM.
identity will signify the difference between this institution and others,
one that is strong, contemporary, fresh, and international to better In addition, by the spring of 2007, Miami Art Museum added almost 200
communicate the expanded scope to different constituents – Miami works into its collection valued at $10M. These included a monumental
citizens, the art scene, and cultural visitors. “Centrality” will be a main sculpture by Leger, a 100-piece contemporary photography collection,
point to get across and will help turn the building into a destination. the first edition of six video works by Doug Aitken called Sleepwalkers,
which is being tailored to go on the new building’s walls. In late 2006,
The redesign will be rolled out in stages. The communication depart- there were some other significant donations from private collectors
ment decided that it is too soon to launch the new identity, as the including Jeffrey Loria, Dennis Scholl, Mimi Floback, and Craig Robbins.
institution is currently in the process of “becoming” while building its
collection. With four years until the final product, the museum will MAM also received a gift of $500,000 for education programs aimed at
start the rebranding process with a capital campaign and a transitional underserved teenagers. The programs will use the building to inspire
identity. They will then adapt the transitional identity to finally arrive others and create a community.
at the new identity when the museum opens in 2012.


8. CONVERGENCE
Walker Art Center creates a bridge to the community with a new addition

Walker Art Center, which is known as one of the most cutting-edge contemporary art museums in the
US, opened an addition designed by Herzog & de Meuron in April 2005. This was the Swiss architects’
first museum building in the US, coming right after their successful design of London’s Tate Modern.

Goals: Challenges:
• Communicate the multi-disciplinary nature of the Walker as • On a national level, staying top-of-mind and differentiating
“more than a museum”, as a dynamic and welcoming center for itself from other contemporary art institutions
people with different arts interests • The Walker’s multidisciplinary mission—visual arts, performing
• Reinforce the Walker’s commitment to artistic creation arts, and film/video—was not well understood within its broader
and dialogue community
• Diversify the audience and engage new groups

Redefining The Brand with Architecture A new entrance was oriented to the broad and
Much like how the Walker’s multi-disciplinary busy Hannepin Avenue in a way to almost
mission challenges traditional art institutions, the “celebrate traffic.”30
new building challenges the traditional ‘white box’
gallery concept with the off-balanced setting of The building’s glass curtain wall and large win-
its tower and asymmetrical windows on the dows reveal the vitality inside to those that drive
facade. The new Walker is uniquely designed to by. Inside, the windows reveal the dynamism of
present diverse forms of contemporary art simul- the city, offering views of the garden and down-
taneously (eleven galleries, a new 385-seat the- town Minneapolis. There are two lobby and
ater, and a refurbished cinema). It encourages lounge areas where one can look through the
artistic experimentation, dialogue, and social interaction in lounges entire building to see the park and city views.
throughout the building where visitors can rest and talk about their
experience. The idea is to use the building to engage and encourage arts-related
or social dialogue. Phillip Bahar, Director of Marketing and Public
One of the goals of the expansion was to respect the original 1971 Relations at the Walker, explains that a major goal for the Walker is to
building designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, while improving on the be civically engaged and serve almost as a “town square,” to become a
visitor experience. Herzog & de Meuron’s new building highlights the “meeting place … where people might bump into other people, arts or
Barnes building by removing late additions and focusing on the verti- ideas.” Herzog & de Meuron’s new space achieves this goal with the
cality of the original building by mirroring it in the new aluminum creation of spaces where groups of varying sizes can interact. Groups
tower. Before the expansion, the main entry was a small entrance can stroll through the galleries together and individuals can enjoy art
tucked away on a side street, giving a reclusive or almost elitist air in quiet, contemplative corners.31 There are lounges and interactive
to the institution. The two structures also now linked by a series of areas throughout the building, placed between galleries, where people
galleries on the ground floor. can pause, reflect, discuss, and learn together.


The building also has a number of amenities to bring people in for A uniform Walker without Walls identity played on the subway map
social gatherings: two new restaurants operated by Wolfgang Puck, theme to represent the different stops to the reopening, while also
coffee and wine service in the garden lobby, a new shop, an event representing the multi-disciplinary nature of Walker Art Center. The
space called the Skyline Room – which can accommodate up to 400 identity was superimposed on pre-existing Walker communications
people - and new terraces. The building also enhanced the museum’s (calendar, letterhead, web site, and tourist postcards), the physical
public programming and learning spaces. environment (sidewalks and walls), and on advertising copy. Signage
around town (train stops, billboards, sidewalk stencils, mobile signage,
The new design added space for the Walker’s diverse program areas: and walls), as well as print and online, encouraged participation in
11,000 square feet of additional gallery space (33%), a 385-seat theater, the events. An ice cream truck distributed frozen treats along with
a remodeled cinema, audio and video bays, and an information lounge. information on the Walker without Walls programs.

Communicating the New Brand Internal Communications
The Walker embarked on a strategic PR and marketing plan in stages Walker Art Center had periodic staff meetings where the management
leading up to the introduction of the new institution, addressing the provided as much information as possible to the staff in order to
communication goals of presenting the new institution as a welcom- encourage word-of-mouth. The museum helped with the “elevator
ing, multi-faceted and happening contemporary art center. speech” and answers to potential questions for when friends and
family asked staff members about the construction and changes that
“Walker without Walls” 2004 would follow.
When Walker Art Center closed for the construction of the new build-
ing for one and a half years, the museum launched a campaign called “Walker Launch Campaign: Where (blank) Meets (blank), 2005
Walker without Walls to stay culturally visible and increase excitement For the reopening, the Walker ran an integrated marketing campaign
for the upcoming re-opening. Walker without Walls primarily targeted that announced the new building and with that the redefined institu-
people who already engaged with the Walker, but it also aimed to tional identity emphasizing on the institution's multidisciplinary
develop new community relationships. The campaign was kicked off by nature. "Where __ meets __" essentially became the template for
an all night party at the Walker in February 2004, the night before the introducing the key messages like artistic depth (where Yoko meets
museum closed for construction. John), multiple disciplines in contemporary art represented inside the
Walker (where paint meets pixels), the town hall concept for social
The campaign was a coordinated yearlong series of art events held in interaction (where art meets life) and the physical locale (where
various venues throughout the region. The events were well attended – Hannepin meets Lyndale)."
more than 25,000 attended the artist-designed mini-golf tournament,
and 3,000 attended the opening night of the Music & Movies series in "The campaign was predominantly regional with some national presence,
Loring Park. and appeared in a range of media executions including magazine ads,
billboards, bus shelters, and wildpostings.


The museum brand footprint - the role of architecture in defining the museum's image

The museum brand footprint - the role of architecture in defining the museum's image

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The museum brand footprint - the role of architecture in defining the museum's image