Suzanne MacLeod is Professor of Museum Studies at the University of Leicester, UK. Tricia Austin is a design researcher and Course Leader at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts, UK. Jonathan Hale is Professor in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Nottingham, UK. Oscar Ho Hing-Kay is Associate Professor in the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
“With essays that strike a careful balance between theory and praxis, the volume examines museum purpose, social responsibility, collaboration, and visitor studies through its presentation of thoughtful case studies, processual writing, and powerful critique within an international context. The book is an essential primer for emerging professionals, scholars, and practitioners interested in museums, design, community, meaning making, and the place of museums in the global cultural landscape.” Juilee Decker, Rochester Institute of Technology, USA “Written by both practitioners and academic researchers from the US, Europe and East Asia, this book offers new insights into the contemporary international debate on multifaceted aspects of museum and gallery design. Its strength is hereby the conceptual division into three parts – Purpose, Process, Perception – which bridges a still existing division between the discussions on the physical design manifestation of museum spaces and our social experience of the exhibitions within them. This book will be invaluable for anybody interested in the future of museum design.” Florian Kossak, University of Sheffield, UK