Good Afternoon Karen,
This question comes up every year or so......so here is my answer to this question from last August, taken from the listserve archives. Please remember that every museum is different......so there is no ideal formula.....nevertheless here is an answer, albeit imperfect.
With regards to percentages of floor space, here's my two cents:
1.) 30% exhibition galleries and public programming areas (such as an auditorium, classroom or meeting area);
2.) 30% collection storage and processing/conservation areas;
3.) 40% everything else (hallways, lobby, museum retail area and retail
storage, non-collections storage, restrooms, heating and cooling mechanical
areas HVAC, janitorial spaces, staff offices and meeting rooms, security,
exhibition fabrication area, chase ways for ductwork,......etc., etc.).
Please note that most folks usually end up robbing #2 and #3 to get more of
#1 and after a couple of years start kicking themselves.....and
unfortunately, never stop kicking themselves.......I am speaking from
experience.
I hope this helps, and best wishes for success!
Wesley
P.S. This ratio (and all others) is (are) always up for discussion since some museums store and exhibit smaller things (archaeological) and some museums store and exhibit larger things (industrial and mechanical), therefore each type of museum has its own particular set of issues to deal with....causing many design issues to be considered such as floor loads (how much weight can a floor hold), elevator sizes, and hallway widths and heights, to name a few......
Wesley S. Creel
Administrator of Programs
Pink Palace Family of Museums
Memphis, Tennessee
U.S.A.
Telephone 901.320.6370
[log in to unmask]
www.memphismuseums.org
>>> [log in to unmask] 04/16/04 11:31AM >>>
Hi everyone, I have a question regarding collection storage space and
exhibit space. On the collection storage is there any rule of thumb
ie, size of collection, how many square feet (metes) per object etc.
What I am looking for is if you were given the opportunity and the means
to build a new facility what amount of space would you allocate for
collection storage or how would you determine how much space you will
need. Same for exhibit space.
thanks
Karen Richardson
Curator
Princeton Museum
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