Museum for Dialogue
2021
with Brendan Webb
The Museum for Dialogue is a building that looks to strengthen
our society by encouraging personal engagement with others who we may not
normally engage with.
Inspiration for the museum comes from the increasing schisms and divisions confronting our society; it is intended to be a landmark for public discourse within the city. It is a place where the spectrum of opinions on topics important to public discourse are explored through various media: from presentations to videos to more traditional exhibitions. Underlying this museum is the idea that our society becomes stronger when everyone participates in, and contributes to, exploring and addressing the problems we face.
There is a gradient of public discourse within the museum with a large shell - or agora - being the zenith. Public plazas on the west and east have spatial gestures for discussion, that look to draw passersby into the environment of the museum. A permanent gallery on the first floor of the museum acts as preparation for visitors of the museum to understand the functioning of the main portion of the museum. The main agora space above the first floor acts as a device to bring people together under one roof, facilitating interaction and discussion. It is through these interactions that the museum’s visitors can participate in, and contribute to, the discourse of the museum while also gaining understanding of the other facets of that discourse.
Inspiration for the museum comes from the increasing schisms and divisions confronting our society; it is intended to be a landmark for public discourse within the city. It is a place where the spectrum of opinions on topics important to public discourse are explored through various media: from presentations to videos to more traditional exhibitions. Underlying this museum is the idea that our society becomes stronger when everyone participates in, and contributes to, exploring and addressing the problems we face.
There is a gradient of public discourse within the museum with a large shell - or agora - being the zenith. Public plazas on the west and east have spatial gestures for discussion, that look to draw passersby into the environment of the museum. A permanent gallery on the first floor of the museum acts as preparation for visitors of the museum to understand the functioning of the main portion of the museum. The main agora space above the first floor acts as a device to bring people together under one roof, facilitating interaction and discussion. It is through these interactions that the museum’s visitors can participate in, and contribute to, the discourse of the museum while also gaining understanding of the other facets of that discourse.
