Spatial Dialogues between Exhibited Interiors and Cultural Exteriors: How Local Museums Connect to the Community

Authors

Nuttinee Karnchanaporn, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand
Chanida Lumthaweepaisal, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Thailand

Abstract

Local museums can no longer simply wait for visitors to come and see their exhibited interiors. They are tasked with community engagement and cultural continuity. They must remain relevant to their communities, but how? Recently, local museums, especially those promoting local history, have struggled to relate to rapidly changing and diverse communities. To ensure museums are community-centred spaces, this research suggests that their spatial components need rethinking. While exhibitions in local museums should be designed through a collaboration and co-creation process between museum staff and locals, semi-outdoor and exterior spaces could be organised to host community gatherings, cultural events, and public conveniences. The paper explores the spatial dialogue between exhibited interiors, semi-outdoor multifunction spaces, and cultural exteriors of four local museums in Thailand, including how they build communities and support cultural heritage. The paper elucidates that while the exhibited interiors of these local museums represent pride in treasures of the past, semi-outdoor multipurpose spaces and cultural exteriors support heritage continuity. With a combination of the three spatial components: exhibited interior, semi-outdoor multifunction space, and cultural exterior, local museums can look forward to a promising future.

Publication Date

1-30-2023

References

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Submitted Date

2022-09-29

Accepted Date

2023-01-12

First Page

43

Last Page

62

Recommended Citation

Karnchanaporn, N., & Lumthaweepaisal, C. (2023). Spatial Dialogues between Exhibited Interiors and Cultural Exteriors: How Local Museums Connect to the Community. Interiority, 6 (1), 43-62. https://doi.org/10.7454/in.v6i1.258

Authors' Bio

Nuttinee Karnchanaporn
nuttinee.kar@kmutt.ac.th

Nuttinee Karnchanaporn is an Associate Professor at Interior Architecture Program, School of Architecture and Design, KMUTT and is a Vice President for Academic Affairs, Thailand Interior Designers' Association. Nuttinee holds PhD in Histories and Theories of Architecture from Architectural Association (UK), MFA in Interior Architecture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (USA), and BFA in Interior Design from Silpakorn University (Thailand). Nuttinee is working in various fields: teaching, research, curatorial work, and writing on design-related issues. Her researches explore interiors in relation to spontaneous urban culture, domestic interiors, and civic space development in museum.

Chanida Lumthaweepaisal
chanida.lum@kmutt.ac.th

Chanida Lumthaweepaisal is a Bangkok-based interior architect who graduated with a Bachelor of Interior Architecture from School of Architecture and Design, KMUTT and a Master’s degree in Interior Architecture from Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam. After graduation, she spent one year practicing as an interior designer at Studio Makkink & Bey Rotterdam. Chanida is currently Head of Spatial Environment and Experimental Design LAB (SEED LAB) and is an Assistant Professor in the Interior Architecture Program at the School of Architecture and Design, KMUTT. Her subject of interest is museum space, learning space, and residential design.

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