Measuring the Effect of Visual Exposure and Saliency of Museum Exhibits on Visitors’ Level of Contact and Engagement

Abstract

This paper examines visitors’ movement patterns at the Broad Museum designed by Zaha Hadid. Characterized with free, open, and generally unbound spaces, visitors explore a curated exhibition at their own pace, route, and agenda. Unlike most other public environments, a museum lends visitors greater choice and control, and does not hold the social or spatial expectations of other facility types that might subject the visitor’s path of travel. In this study, 72 visitors were observed. A space syntax-based visibility graph analysis (VGA) was then performed to compute the visibility exposure and the spatial position of each exhibit within the museum. Negative binomial regression was used to look at the effects of spatial variables on visitors’ wayfinding, contact, and engagement with the pieces. Results showed that both the amount of visibility area around each exhibit, and its spatial position measured using space syntax techniques explained why visitors established a contact with the piece and their wayfinding behavior. Interestingly, however, the saliency of exhibits along with spatial variables were both strong predictors for why people arriving in groups split to engage with that particular exhibit. The simulation used in this study could be useful in curatorial decisions.

One Step Ahead of Active Shooters: Are Our University Buildings Ready?

“…The primary objective of this pilot study is to measure whether buildings create opportunities to execute Run, Hide, Fight in two university buildings at a U.S. institution. Because of advancements in computer technology, it is now possible to measure the visibility and legibility of building layouts mathematically using space syntax techniques [32]. Space syntax is a group of theories that look at the social use of space [32].…”

“…Because of advancements in computer technology, it is now possible to measure the visibility and legibility of building layouts mathematically using space syntax techniques [32]. Space syntax is a group of theories that look at the social use of space [32]. In her study, Nubani [18,33] analyzed visibility through the use of one space syntax technique known as Isovist-based visibility graph analysis (also known as VGA).…”

Optimal Planning Method for Large-Scale Historical Exhibits in the Taiwan Railway Museum

“…Visitors' time, energy, and perception limitations, as well as their physical characteristics, create complex circulation patterns arising from these visitors' interactions with exhibition layouts. Visitors often inhabit the space for a short time and roam about freely with the primary purpose of viewing objects within the space [25].…”

“…According to the investigated results from Lynch in 1960, there seems to be a public image of any given place, and physical forms can be classified into five types of elements: paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks-these seem to reappear in many types of environment images [42]. Nubani et al stated that the visitors' mental map can fall into one of the five types, defined by Kevin Lynch, helping them with wayfinding in the exhibition space [25]. The paths, edges, districts, nodes, and landmarks are formed from point, line, plane, and stereo.…”

“…• District: A gallery is divided into several space units [19,25]. Structure of layout impacts visitors' movement [25,31].…”