Contemporary Museum Architecture: "The Spectacularity of Globalism" Versus the "Spirit of Place"

Abstract

Museum architecture has always played a key role in urban spaces, but today, attention to museums as a driving force shaping the new appearance of cities and regions has increased dramatically. This article examines two key trends in the formative development of contemporary museum architecture: universalization, driven by cultural globalization, and regionalism, based on the need to preserve the cultural diversity of nations and local communities. Architectural globalization and regionalism are analyzed using renowned international buildings from the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Russian experience is also examined, using examples of completed projects, as well as projects and competitions for museum buildings and complexes in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, and Volgograd. Key techniques in architectural form-making are identified. In architectural globalization, these include experimentation with form, curvilinearity, the use of fantastical, unearthly images, "deterritorialization" (separation from place), and "dehistoricization" (separation from historical time and continuity). Regionalism in museum architecture is manifested by such techniques as inspiration from local natural landscapes, the use of historical images and pictures, the reimagined use of traditional building materials, and a contemporary interpretation of vernacular and traditional architecture.