Even Permanent Exhibits Are Temporary

Museums call long-term exhibitions “permanent.”

But even permanent exhibits are temporary.

The term “permanent” really distinguishes a long-term exhibition from a short-term one. It might stick around for 5, 10, or 20+ years. But eventually, its core thesis is dated, or its technology has no more spare parts, or its finishes wear out. That’s normal.

When a new building and a permanent exhibition are designed together, it’s very tempting to position permanent electrical outlets, data connections, lighting locations, wall recesses, and floor boxes around the needs of the opening show.

Don’t do it.

Favoring the first show leaves the next one working around expensive infrastructure that’s in the wrong place (or paying to remove it).  

Instead, make the exhibition specific but keep the building adaptable. Lay out systems like it’s a changing gallery. Provide a rational grid of distributed power and data. Use flexible lighting systems like track. Keep the HVAC diffusers in regularly spaced locations.

Sure, you can install a few custom infrastructure elements for the exhibition of the moment, but preserve your options now for the exhibition that comes next, whenever and whatever that is.

Here’s the thing:

There are no “permanent” exhibitions, just temporary exhibitions whose closing dates have not been determined. If you plan your building accordingly, you won’t regret it later.

Warmly,
Jonathan

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MtM Word of the Day:
Pipe and drape. A temporary way of making a freestanding partition or barrier, using fabric that spans vertical and horizontal pipes. This allows short-term work to go on behind the scenes for a few hours or days, like galleries being installed or caterers staging food.