design of a different kind

NEW WORK | MOV Studio

Completed MOV Studio space | view more photos | read more about it on Kirsti’s blog

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While my focus and passion in design has centred on motion design for some time now, I’ve had the opportunity to work in many varied media over my career. Kirsti Wakelin and I recently had the chance to get back to a little experiential design with the newly rebranded Museum of Vancouver. To help introduce their new direction and identity, we transformed the existing, cluttered orientation gallery into the new MOV Studio.

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Completed MOV Studio space | view more photos here

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Formerly known as the Vancouver Museum, MOV’s new vision has a much greater contemporary focus while still honouring the city’s past: “To hold a mirror to the city and hold provocative conversations about its past, present and future.” The MOV Studio is the first expression of that new direction within the physical space of the museum itself.

It’s varied usage demanded a flexible yet engaging layout. Day-to-day, it serves as a lounge connecting the permanent collection and special exhibition galleries – it’s a space to meet in before viewing the exhibitions or to reflect in afterward. During openings, the room is required to function as an event space, accommodating up to 300 people. And as any museum, it hosts a steady stream of school groups and acts as a gathering and learning space as well.

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The Vancouver Museum’s Orientation Gallery prior to redesign

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So our first step in giving it that flexibility was to simplify. Egyptian mummy – out. Taxidermied animals – out. Interpretive mountains – out. Vancouver and world timelines – out (for now at least). We had the most contemporary and relevant exhibit – a panoramic view of the West End – right outside the window, so why not show it off? We drew from the clean, bold new identity to give the Studio the feel of an art gallery and keep the focus on the exhibits and setting. Wayfinding banners clearly define pathing to the permanent collection and special exhibition galleries, an ongoing source of confusion in the past. Seat groupings give places for contemplation or relaxation. Brand and paint applications on the entry wall serve to introduce the new vision and identity, while giving energy to the minimalist design of the room.

A limited budget ruled out a hi-tech interactive feedback solution, so we went hi-touch with a blackboard wall and simple call to action – “What is your Vancouver?”. Ongoing documentation of viewers writings and illustrations on the wall could be a great historical record of prevailing opinions and issues in the city’s evolution. The opposing wall, that formerly held cluttered Vancouver and world timelines, was re-designed to a more gallery-like feel as well. Reduction to a simpler Vancouver timeline, with fewer objects and greater prominence and wall-space given to each artifact, is planned for the future when time and budget allow. In the meantime, it functions as a temporary exhibition wall with a series of short-term installations planned for the future, lending another dynamic element to the Studio.

To some degree, a lot of the concept was addition by subtraction. But it’s been rewarding to hear that what was one of the least inviting and liked spaces in the Museum for many MOV employees, has now become their favourite.

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CLIENT :: Museum of Vancouver

EXPERIENTIAL DESIGN :: Darren Carcary and Kirsti Wakelin

BRAND and BANNER DESIGN :: Kaldor Brand Strategy + Design