Architectural & Exhibit Master Plan Programming Phase › sites › 516 › uploaded › files ›...

Architectural & Exhibit Master Plan Programming Phase

for the Pink Palace Museum

Memphis Tennessee

January 2012

Prepared By

Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects Christopher Chadbourne & Associates

Tom Robison & Associates OGCB, INC.

ANF-Memphis CCA-Boston Pink Palace Master Plan 1/31/2012

‘We shape our buildings and afterwards they shape us.’ Sir Winston Churchill ‘Make no little plans as they have no magic to stir men’s blood.’ Daniel Burnham ‘A museum is a place where one should lose one's ’head.’ HHHHHRenzo PianoHHHHH Pink Palace Mission:

The Pink Palace Family of Museums inspires people to learn how history, science, technology and nature shape the Mid-South. Through rich collections, thought-provoking exhibitions, and engaging programs, we encourage our diverse community to reflect on the past, understand the present and influence the future.


TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary

1. Introduction and Building History 1 2. Alignment with the Museum’s Strategic Plan 2007-2012 2 3. Architectural Program 5 4. Building and Site Study at 3050 Central Avenue 5 5. Conceptual Design Alternates Evaluations and Cost Estimates 8 6. Exhibit Space Recap 21 7. Conclusions 21

Introduction 1. Planning and Design Methodology 23 2. Organization of the Architectural and Exhibit Master Plan Report 24

Architectural Program

1. Design Goals and Objectives (Qualitative) 25 2. Priorities and Phases of Completion 25 3. Elements of Program 26 4. Design Goals and Building Spaces (Quantitative) 28 5. Building Spaces’ Descriptions and Functions 28 6. Building Spaces’ Functional Relationships and Rationales for 29

Locations and Space Relationships

Analysis of Existing Site and Building Spaces 1. History 31 2. Analysis of Site 33 3. Analysis of Building 35 4. Analysis of the Building’s Functions 40

Entrance 40 Lobby 42 Exhibits 44 Planetarium 47 Education 48 Family Audience 48 Collections Storage 49 Special Events/Rentals 50 Administrative 51 Guest Services 51 Retail 52 Food Services 53 Public Amenities 53 Structural 54 HVAC 61 Fire Protection 66 Plumbing 67 Electrical 70


Lighting 72 Fire Alarm 72 Security 73 Telecommunications 74 Public Address 74 Audiovisual 74 Acoustics 74 Building Codes - Earthquake Issues 75 Signage: Honorific, Way-finding, Informational 75 Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance 75

Conceptual Design Alternatives

1. “The Museum in its Educational and Societal Context 76 Preliminary Public Engagement” Report

2. Site Design Alternatives and Phases 89 3. Building Design Alternatives and Phases 90 4. Criteria for Evaluation of Schemes 91 5. Evaluation Matrix 92 6. Conclusions 94

Cost Estimate Summary 1. Alternatives, Phasing and Estimated Costs 96

Construction Phasing Plan

1. Phase One 98 2. Phase Two 98 3. Phase Three 98

A Last Word On Identity 99

Appendices

A Mechanical, Plumbing and Electrical Report B Structural Report C Probable Cost Estimates D References Related to Master Plan Report

ANF-Memphis CCA-Boston Pink Palace Master Plan Programming Phase 1/31/2012 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction and Building History

The Pink Palace Family of Museums has a remarkable and enviable set of

assets. Through its museum, events spaces, Sharpe Planetarium, Crew Training

International IMAX® Theater, Lichterman Nature Center and its other historic

and natural sites, the institution has an array of cultural and educational

facilities and learning opportunities. It is currently faced with the need to

address the many financial and logistical issues critical to its long-term

sustainability and public value. From this perspective, its many assets are both

strengths and challenges.

Many museums experience

organic growth during their

institutional histories. They

add to collections as a result

of a donor or curator’s strong

interest or expertise. They

acquire objects and buildings

through special gifts or in

recognition of preservation

needs. They offer new exhibits and programs to meet changing regional and

professional needs. While all of these actions are important as they occur,

they may result in a scattered focus that periodically requires new thinking. The

Pink Palace has responded to a variety of opportunities over the years, and

now faces the challenge of creating a fresh identity. The museum has an

exciting opportunity to create a thematically unique niche in the cultural

community of Memphis and the Mid-South. These notes address some of

those opportunities and re-emphasize the need to build for the future while

establishing relevance and meaning with the core audiences.

It is telling that in discussion with both board and staff, some museum personnel

described the museum as a history museum, while others saw it as a science or

natural history museum. The strategic plan refers to the museum as three

museums in one, noting the distinct collections and multiple exhibit topics.


Although it can be advantageous to have people relate to the content of a

museum in different ways, it can also create confusion. Audience research

suggests there is greater strength in establishing a well-defined identity. Such an

identity would benefit from defining overarching interpretive directions to unify

the varied subject matter of the museum and create meaningful intersections

between them.FFFFF1FFFFF Undertaking this exercise is a highly valuable starting point to

the subsequent redesign of exhibitions.

2. Alignment with the Museum’s Strategic Plan 2007

In 2005, the Pink Palace engaged the planning firm of Museum Management

Consultants, San Francisco, to work closely with the Museum Core Planning

Committee and create a Strategic Plan for the period 2007 through 2012.

Funded by the City of Memphis and approved by the Museum’s non-profit

Board this Strategic Plan resulted in a comprehensive plan which will guide the

museum for many years. The plan included 7 key goals required to achieve a

transformation of the Pink Palace Museum. This Master Plan aligns with the

Capital Strategic Plan of 2007-2012 in the following ways:

Goal 1 Create a compelling visitor experience: Of utmost importance is the

museum’s goal of surprising and delighting visitors. An entry ticket is a promise.

The visitor’s experience must be memorable, rewarding and fulfilling. Their

experience should cause them to return repeatedly to explore new areas, see

new exhibits and be entertained and enlightened. This goal has been in the

forefront of all our thinking and planning. This goal has led our team to plan for

a new main entrance, a reorganization and update of all exhibit areas,

improvement and expansion of visitor services and public areas and upgrades

to meet the needs of a diverse group of visitors from school children, with the

inclusion of a student orientation area, to those with special needs. With so

many entertainment options in the world at large we must make a visit to the

Pink rewarding enough to compel visitors to return soon.

1 Beverly Shepherd, Institute of Learning Innovation. UUUUAppendix D-References Related to Master Plan ReportUU (Internal Email), July 2, 2011


Goal 2 Restructure the collections to better support the Museum mission and

visitor experience: The museum has a valuable set of exhibition assets, but

many of these are either in outdated exhibit settings or not displayed in

meaningful sequence. This Master Plan addresses the collections issue and

attempts to update not only the way that the museum’s artifacts are viewed

but to rearrange them into a meaningful, thematic and sequential story.

Of particular note is the consolidation of the collections area with access to

the loading dock and other support areas. In addition, our planning moves the

location of the temporary exhibit area so that it is closer to a loading dock and

other exhibit support services. Lastly, we propose that the Pink Palace Mansion

become the showcase for the unique treasures of the PPFM, including the

Clyde Parke Circus, the Piggly Wiggly store and other iconic exhibits.

Goal 3 Develop a financial model that allows for growth, prosperity, and a

sustainable operating capacity: Today’s museum is a delicate mix of exhibit,

programming and public gathering spaces.

Public spaces have been rearranged and enlarged in this plan to allow for

simultaneous special events ranging from weddings to corporate parties.

Additional earned income for the PPFM must be found from new sources as

the contribution of the City continues to remain flat. With that in mind, this

Master Plan focuses on how to increase special events revenue through the

creation of new exterior public spaces, enhanced retail offerings, new dining

facilities, and supporting kitchens, among additional changes. At the same

time, we have been mindful of the museum’s educational mission, so the

public spaces include iconic exhibits which will educate, inspire and excite

visitors. These spaces should remain flexible enough to use for temporary

exhibits and other uses when needed. The long-term prosperity of the

museum may well depend on how successful we are at enabling the

museum to attract new streams of revenue and to remain meaningful to our

visitors.


Goal 4 Cultivate audiences and deepen community awareness: One test for

any great museum is how much it is used by the public. Well conceived, easily

accessed gathering areas inside the museum building are critical to this

mission. New exhibit areas should have space dedicated to small public

gatherings, perhaps to address something topical or explore a particular

historical aspect of the containing exhibit. Large gathering spaces, including

the IMAX® Theater, the new Planetarium, the Mansion Ballroom and the Club

Room will be upgraded and made more accessible to outside community

gatherings.

Goal 5 Focus operations at the Pink Palace and Lichterman: This master plan

addresses the need to reorganize some administrative offices, create new

office space, and to enlarge and improve the call center, the Friends of the

Pink Palace offices, the collection areas and exhibit support areas.

Goal 6 Build a highly motivated team of employees and volunteers with the

appropriate skill sets to achieve the mission: One key to the motivation of

employees and volunteers is to provide them with the space needed to

accomplish their objectives. New staff offices, conference room, offices for

the Friends of the Pink Palace and other support areas will be improved as part

of this plan. A new enlarged call center with windows cannot help but

increase customer friendliness.

Goal 7 Strengthen the ability of the Board of Trustees to govern PPFM in

cooperation with the City of Memphis: By increasing the areas available for

special events, this plan encourages new streams of income for the Pink

Palace and allows the Board increased resources to govern PPFM in

cooperation with the City of Memphis. The Board will have new opportunities

for income growth from the public with flexible special event spaces and

meeting areas. These spaces will include iconic exhibits so that they also

advance the museum’s mission. In addition, cost estimates for all work,

fundraising materials and a phasing plan will enhance the Board’s ability to

steer this process to a successful conclusion. The overall improvement in the


quality of the visitor experience will inspire and empower the Board’s work and

take it to new levels.

3. Architectural Program

The Master Plan is divided into two important parts: Programming and

Schematic Design (Exhibits). This report is the culmination of the Programming

Phase, and describes the priorities and phases as outlined in this report.

Schematic Design Phase, will be a more complete and detailed analysis of one

of the four alternate schemes presented as part of this report. In particular, the

Schematic Design Phase (Exhibits) will give definition to the exhibit areas,

exhibit adjacencies and early exhibit layouts.

4. Building and Site Study at 3050 Central Avenue

The Pink Palace Museum is located in a residential neighborhood near the

geographical center of the City of Memphis. This majestic 9.7 acre site is

bounded on all four sides by roadways: Central Avenue to the south, Lafayette

Street to the east, Tilton to the west and East Goodwyn/Lafayette Place to the

north. Both Lafayette Street (as it intersects with Poplar Avenue) and Central

Avenue connect the museum to the city via heavily traveled east-west

roadways. The mansion is located in the far northern portion of the site and is

fronted by a wide and relatively flat lawn area facing Central Avenue. Below

this lawn is the underground IMAX® Theater and educational facilities. The

mansion is the primary "face" of the property and gives the facility its name.

The exhibit wing of the museum is on the east side of the mansion, facing

Lafayette Street, and contains the main entrance for the facility.

At almost 160,000 square feet, the Pink Palace is one of the largest facilities of

its kind in the southeast. The facility is comprised of three major buildings, the

mansion (1930), the exhibit wing (1977 & 1992) and the underground IMAX®

Theater and educational facilities (1996), added in intervals over sixty-six years.

The original functions of these buildings vary from private residence to museum

space.


The first and most prominent building is the mansion (locally known as the Pink

Palace). Originally constructed as a private residence for Clarence Saunders,

this building was designed by Hubert McGee and sheathed in pink Georgia

marble. The main floor is primarily used as a special events space, with some

specialized exhibits in the east wing. The second floor of the mansion serves a

back-of-house capacity, housing storage, offices for the Friends of the Pink

Palace and a geological collections laboratory.

The second major building added to the facility was a wing on the east side of

the mansion. This angular, windowless

building sheathed in a beige-colored

masonry was built in 1977. This space was

constructed specifically to house museum

facilities and is the primary exhibit building

on campus. In 1992, the space between

the exhibit wing and the mansion was in-

filled with a two-story addition to create

the lobby and vertical circulation space.

The additions to the north side added

work shops and administration spaces.

The east wing houses the majority of the facility’s public spaces including most

of the Museum’s exhibition floor space, the Planetarium, restaurant, entrance

and lobby, as well as other back-of-house functions such as administrative

offices and collections storage.

An underground building is the final component to the campus. In 1996,

facilities opened beneath the front lawn of the mansion. These new facilities

house the IMAX® Theater and educational spaces as well as administration

areas and event support space.

In this report, each area/ system of the museum has been carefully analyzed to

determine its serviceability and appropriateness for any future expansion or

reconfiguration.

1992 addition with original mansion on the left and 1977 brick façade on the right.


1992 Addition

1977 Addition

Museum Entrance

1930 Mansion

1992 Addition

Southwest lawn

Gated Public Entry

Staff Parking

Front Lawn & 1996 Underground IMAX & education

Parking

Gated Staff Entry

Aerial Site Plan


5. Conceptual Design Alternates Evaluation and Cost Estimates

An evaluation of 24 key issues for each of the four alternates, including E, a

variation on Alternate D was made to determine a numerical score for each of

these alternates. This matrix includes issues from arrival to cost of construction.

The full matrix can be viewed in the Conceptual Design Alternatives section.

Summary of Alternate Evaluation Matrix

Pink Palace Master Plan Programming Phase

Alternates Goal/ Objective B C D E

24 Goals/ Objectives evaluated using a numerical system: 5 - Excellent, 4 - Good 3 - Acceptable, 2 - needs improvement 73 100 110 114

The probable cost of construction of the Conceptual Design Alternatives,

shown below, includes contractor overhead and profit, general conditions,

contingencies, permitting and bonding.

Cost Comparison Chart Master Plan Programming Phase

Alternate

B C D E

Building $2,849,776 $4,489,125 $5,213,444 $5,438,444

COM Requirements $569,955 $897,825 $1,042,698 $1,087,688

Exhibits $17,363,780 $16,386,460 $12,880,700 $12,880,700

Grand Total $20,783,511 $21,773,410 $19,136,842 $19,406,832

Alternate E includes the addition of stairs / elevator on the north wall of the

mansion, allowing easy public access to all floors and in particular the exhibits

area on the upper floor. A sum of $269,990 would be required to make this

change.

An important positive note about the prospect for completing this plan is that

the City of Memphis has agreed to match private funding dollar for dollar.


Scheme B – First Floor Plan

Club Room

Renovated Restaurant

Kitchen

Gift Shop

Ticketing

Lobby

Membership

School Gathering

M W

Renovated Collections

Exhibit I

Existing Entryl Doors

Collections Exhibit Prep


Scheme B – Second Floor Plan

Mansion Catering Kitchen

Mansion Catering Staging

Mansion Ballroom

Mansion Lobby

Exhibit II

Exhibit III

Mezzanine

Remove existing stairs and floor existing opening

Administration

Collections

Mansion Theatre

Dunavant Room / Event

Mansion Exhibit

Mansion Exhibit East


Scheme B – Third Floor Plan

Call Ctr Conf.

Friends

Future Exhibit

Conf.

Roof

Roof

Dressing Rm


Scheme C – First Floor Plan

Café Receiving, Storage & Prep

Kitchen

New Dumbwaiter

Club Room

Collections

Collections Catering Kitchen

Membership & Ticketing

Office Planetarium

Lobby

Ticketing

2 storey space

Gift Shop

School Gathering /

Event

Gift Shop Storage

Exhibit I

Lobby

Collections

Relocated Entry Doors

School Entry

Exhibit Prep


Scheme C – Second Floor Plan

Café Kitchen

Café Dining Rm

Catering Staging / Storage

Outdoor Dining

Dunavant Room / Dining

New Elev & Stairs to Club

Room

Mansion Ballroom

Mansion Lobby

Mansion Exhibit


Mezzanine

Exhibit IV

Exhibit III

Exhibit II

New Entry

Storage

Mech.

Mech.

Administration

Collections

Mansion Theatre


Scheme C –Third Floor Plan

Exhibit

New Elev

Storage

Conf.

Call Ctr

Dressing Rm

Friends

Conf.

Admin. Break Rm

Roof

Roof


Scheme D – First Floor Plan

Café Receiving & Prep Kitchen

Club Room

New Dumbwaiter

Collections Catering Kitchen

Exhibit Prep

Planetarium Lobby

Circulation Lobby

Loading Dock

Exhibit I

Focal Point Artifact

New Stairs

Dock Staging

M W

School Gathering /

Events Entrance

Lobby 2 storey space

Ticketing

Membership

Lower Plaza

Plaza

Artifact

Artifact

Lawn

Artifact

Existing Collections

Gift Shop

Gift Shop Storage



Scheme D – Second Floor Plan

Café Kitchen

Café Dining Rm


Outdoor Dining


Mansion Ballroom

Mansion Lobby

Mansion Exhibit


Mezzanine

Administration

Collections

Mansion Theatre

Exhibit IV

Exhibit III

Exhibit II

New Entry

Mech.

Mech.

Open to Lobby below

Open to below


Scheme D – Third Floor Plan

Call Ctr

Conf.

Friends

Exhibits

Conf.

Roof

Roof

Dressing Rm

Glass Box Expansion over new Lobby with light refracting sculpture


Scheme E – First Floor Plan

Café Receiving & Prep Kitchen

Club Room

New Dumbwaiter

Collections

Catering Kitchen

Exhibit Prep

Planetarium Lobby

Circulation Lobby

Loading Dock

Exhibit I

New Stairs

Dock Staging

M W

School Gathering /

Events Entrance

Lobby 2 storey space

Ticketing

Membership

Lower Plaza

Plaza

Artifact

Artifact

Lawn

Artifact

Existing Collections

Gift Shop

Gift Shop Storage



Scheme E – Second Floor Plan

Café Kitchen

Café Dining Rm


Outdoor Dining


New Elev & Stairs to Club

Room

Mansion Ballroom

Mansion Lobby

Mansion Exhibit


Mansion Theatre

Mezzanine

Administration

Collections

Exhibit IV

Exhibit III

Exhibit II

New Entry

Mech.

Mech.

Open to Lobby below

Open to below


Scheme E – Third Floor Plan

Exhibit

New Elev

Storage

Conf.

Call Ctr

Dressing Rm

Friends

Conf.

Admin. Break Rm

Roof

Roof


6. Exhibit Space Recap

The total amount of exhibit area is of particular concern to any museum. As

seen in the Exhibit Comparison Chart below, very little difference exists

between the four alternates if a value of .333 is placed on all public gathering

/exhibit areas (non-restricted) as well as the exterior plaza areas. These areas

would contain exhibits that are able to withstand close interaction with the

general public. They also would be essential to the very important task of

setting visitors’ expectations for a compelling museum experience. They will

also further the Museum’s interpretive goals.

Looked at another way, it is essential to have confidence that the chosen plan

has ample exhibit space to tell the stories the museum wants to tell. The

museum’s professional staff believes that all the alternatives have enough

exhibit space to do that.

Exhibit Comparison Chart Master Plan Programming Phase Alternate Exhibit Areas Square Feet B C D E Exhibit Area – Restricted 39,925 40,259 34,197 34,197 Exhibit Area - Non Restricted @ .333 2,149 2,521 3,831 3,831 Exhibit Area Exterior - Main entry hall 500 600 3,600 3,600

Grand Total 42,574 43,380 41,628 41,628 Non Restricted & Exterior Exhibit Area = 1/3 of actual area

7. Conclusions

Based on the comparison of key issues met, cost, and total exhibit space the

obvious conclusion is that Alternate B is the weakest of the four alternates and

would resolve only a few of the goals/objectives outlined in this report.

Alternate C, the most expensive of the four, is a much better solution than

Alternate B but still falls short of optimum especially since the main entry is still

located on the east side of the museum. With few exceptions, Alternate D or E

is clearly the best of the four alternates and finally resolves several key issues:


• An easily identified Main Entry hall visible from Central Avenue, a main

road

• All collection areas now contiguous with back of the house access

• A dedicated loading dock for the temporary exhibit area with

appropriate floor load capability

• Permanent exhibits will be contiguous (same floor)

• A new dining area with outdoor seating

• The upper level of the mansion must be accessible during events

• The lowest cost of construction

An improvement to Alternate E would be to add the elevator/ stair on the east

side of mansion along with the layout suggested for the upper level of the

mansion. This new Alternate E would be approximately $269,990 more

expensive than Alternate D (see cost estimates below) but its impact would be

great by allowing visitors to easily access the Club room by stairway on the

lower level and the upper floor and rotunda of the mansion, both of which are

currently inaccessible or accessible only with difficulty from the mansion main

floor.

Clearly Alternate E is the optimum choice for further study in the next phase of

this Master Plan but by developing the four alternates, we have explored many

‘what-if’ scenarios and the design team should be sure that all good ideas

evidenced in each of these alternates finds its way, whenever possible, into the

final scheme.


INTRODUCTION 1. Planning and Design Methodology

After a lengthy selection process in late 2009 and early 2010, the design team

of Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects (ANF), Memphis, and Christopher

Chadbourne Associates (CCA), Boston, was chosen to complete the Master

Plan Programming in two parts:

• Part 1: Programming

• Part 2: Schematic Design (Exhibits)

This report is the culmination of Part 1 (Programming) and describes the

progress made to date. Part 2 (Schematic Design - Exhibits) will be issued as a

more complete and detailed analysis of one of the four alternate schemes

presented as part of this report. In particular, the Schematic Design phase will

give definition to the exhibit areas, exhibit adjacencies and early exhibit

layouts.

The team of ANF and CCA, joined by OGCB Engineers, Memphis, and Tom

Robison and Associates, Memphis, has completed this report by using the

following methodology:

• Kickoff Team Meeting with goals and objectives defined

• Extensive analysis/ measuring of the existing facility

• Site visits to understand existing systems, latent conditions, and

opportunities for change

• Interviews with museum staff, Board of Directors, Museum Director, and

other key personnel

• Exploration of many alternative ideas and schemes, with the goal of

narrowing the number down to four

• Frequent meetings with the Museum Staff, COM and Parks to question

assumptions, review proposals and refine alternatives

• Visits to the Museum with two contractors to cost out the four final

alternatives

• Presentation of the final four alternative to the Board of Directors for

review and comment


2. Organization of the Architectural and Exhibit Master Plan Report

This report is organized into several sections for clarity and to facilitate the

understanding of the basic ideas presented:

• Architectural Program: A statement of the design goals and objectives

both qualitatively and quantitatively. This section will also include

building spaces and function as well as a rationale for the final

alternative schemes.

• Analysis of Existing Site and Building Spaces: An analysis of the existing

building, site, building systems, collections and exhibits, as well as

potential code issues and concerns.

• Conceptual Design Alternatives: Concentrating on the four alternate

schemes, this section explores site consequences, offers a matrix for

evaluation of these schemes and presents conclusions.

• Cost Estimate Summary: Estimated costs for each of the four alternates

as well as phasing is examined in this section.


ARCHITECTURAL PROGRAM 1. Design Goals and Objectives (Qualitative)

The qualitative design goals and objectives for the renovation/ reorganization

of the Pink Palace are as follows:

• Create a compelling visitor experience

• Make the museum more child-friendly

• Increase membership and repeat visits to the museum

• Reorganize/ revitalize the permanent exhibits as described in the

Interpretive Narrative

• Enlarge and enhance visitor services: dining, special event areas,

student orientation space, public meeting areas, membership, ticketing,

toilets, etc.

• Improve way finding: Make the main entry easy to find and improve

horizontal and vertical circulation

• Improve interaction with school groups: entry hall, gather, food service

• Consolidate museum Collections, work and storage area into one area

with dock access

• Resolve floor loading and easy dock access for the temporary exhibit

area if this exhibit space is moved to the first floor

• Allow easy public access to all levels of the mansion

• Find a location for the Pink Palace’s iconic exhibits which may not fit into

the Interpretive Narrative.

• Create a gathering area for the Planetarium

• Create exhibits about the mansion and the Pink Palace‘s collection of

treasured artifacts which relate more to the Museum’s history and

visitor’s memories than they do to the new Interpretive Narrative.

2. Priorities and Phases of Completion

The Master Plan is divided into two important parts: Programming and

Schematic Design-Exhibits. This report is the culmination of Part 1,


Programming, and describes the priorities and phases below. Part 2,

Schematic Design-Exhibits, will be a more complete and detailed analysis of

one of the four alternate schemes presented as part of this report. In

particular, the Schematic Design phase will give definition to the exhibit areas,

exhibit adjacencies and early exhibit layouts.

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPriorities and Phases of Programming, Part IUUUUU

1. Kickoff Team Meeting with goals and objectives defined

2. Extensive analysis/ measuring of the existing facility

3. Site visits to understand existing systems, latent conditions and

opportunities for change

4. Interviews with museum staff, Board of Directors, Museum Director and

other key personnel

5. Exploration of many alternative ideas and schemes, with the goal of

narrowing the number down to four

6. Frequent meetings with the Museum Staff, COM and Parks to question

assumptions, review proposals and refine alternatives

7. Visits to the Museum with two contractors to cost out the four final

alternatives

8. Presentation of the final four alternative to the Board of Directors for

review and comment

3. Elements of Program

The primary areas of the existing Museum, their size, description and adjacency

/ functional needs are shown below:


Program Elements Existing Areas by Function, Total Area, Description and Adjacency/ Functional Needs Exist Occupancy/

Type Area SF Description Adjacency/ Functional Needs Administration 14,728 Offices, conference room, clerical,

circulation, staff toilets, break room, Admin storage, kitchen for staff

Reorganization of space needed

Building Services 13,814 Mechanical rooms, electrical room,

pump rooms, shaftways, elevator, equipment rooms, etc.

Rework as needed. Most should remain as is

Circulation 16,859 Back of house circulation, service

corridors, etc Reconfigure as needed

Collections 10,660 Collections of artifacts and

specimens which support the exhibits, compact storage

Consolidate/ access to loading dock

Education 7,611 All classrooms, discovery areas, etc Increase if possible Exhibit Area 45,875 All Exhibit areas including temporary

exhibit, mansion ground floor, and mezzanine in exhibit bldg.

Reorganize, update, make contiguous, locate temporary gallery to ground floor with adjacent access to loading dock

Exhibit Support 6,484 Exhibit repair, preparation, shops Friends of the Pink Palace

1,116 Offices/ conf room for Friends Renovation/ reorganization needed

Future Expansion 1,839 Unassigned area Reconfigure and Reuse Gift Shop 3,129 Gift Shop and Gift Shop Storage Enlarge / position near main entry Planetarium 4,673 Planetarium and upper level Enlarge gathering area Restaurant 1,504 Restaurant and kitchen Enlarge/ Renovate/ Relocate Visitor Services 22,474 Public entry, gathering areas, public

event areas, public circulation, toilets, escalators, ballroom, theater

Enlarge for Public Event Space Reconfigure

Event Support 1,151 Back of house for special events Enlarge/ provide warming kitchen

IMAX® Theater 6,977 IMAX® Theater and control booths

Grand Total 158,894 SF


4. Design Goals and Building Spaces (Quantitative)

The quantitative design goals and objectives for the renovation/ reorganization

of the Pink Palace are as follow.

• Increase the number of visitors to the museum

• Increase the size of the gift shop

• Increase the area to be used for special events

• Increase the area near the main entry for unloading/ loading and

student orientation

• Addition of a student orientation area

• Increase the size of the kitchens available for special events

5. Building Spaces’ Descriptions, Size and Adjacency Requirements

After extensive on-site verification, our team has determined the size/ function

of the existing museum spaces to be:


Legend Critical Desirable


ANALYSIS OF EXISTING SITE AND BUILDING SPACES

1. History

Originally constructed as a showplace residence for local grocery store

magnate Clarence Saunders, the Memphis Pink Palace Museum has been

altered and enhanced many times during its eighty-eight year history.

Construction on the mansion, now known as the Pink Palace for its pink

Georgian marble exterior, begun in 1922. In 1923, ownership of the unfinished

mansion and its surrounding land passed to private developers. By 1926 the

still-unfinished mansion and its front lawn had been donated to the City of

Memphis to be used as a museum.

The Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts was opened in the

mansion in 1930. Six years later in 1936, the museum name was shortened

simply to the Memphis Museum. Over the next eighteen years, few major

changes were made to the facilities. In 1954, a twenty foot Planetarium dome

was added. This dome, attached to the mansion, housed the new Planetarium

and was equipped with a Spitz star projector. In 1967, thirty-seven years after it

originally opened, the museum changed its name once again to the Memphis

Pink Palace Museum, a name it continues to use today.

Over the years the museum has changed a great deal from the original

mansion to its current appearance. In 1974, the museum embarked on an

expansion plan which culminated in the opening of a new exhibit wing on the

east side of the mansion in 1977. The following year, a new Planetarium

opened within this new wing. In 1990, the museum began an extensive

renovation and expansion of their facilities, causing the museum to close in

1991 for construction. In 1992, when the museum reopened the public enjoyed

an expanded lobby with escalators and a changing exhibit area, while the

employee area grew to include a new wing containing administrative office

space, as well as laboratories and workshops. These new facilities were

followed in 1996 with the reopening to the public of the original Pink Palace

mansion, as well as the addition of an underground IMAX® Theater and


Education building. The museum capped off its first thirty-nine years with the

renovation of the Sharpe Planetarium in 1999. Since the opening of the IMAX®

Theater and Education wing in 1996, no major expansion or exhibit upgrade

has occurred.

A condensed timeline of the facilities history is below:

1922 Clarence Saunders’ mansion construction broke ground 1923 Saunders goes broke and loses his mansion 1926 Developer Helm Bruce donated the unfinished mansion and front

lawn to the City of Memphis. Designers were hired to develop exhibits for the mansion over the next three years.

1930 The Memphis Museum of Natural History and Industrial Arts opens 1936 The museum was renamed the Memphis Museum 1954 The Planetarium opens with a 20 foot dome and Spitz star projector 1968 The Memphis Museum name was changed to the Memphis Pink

Palace Museum 1974 Design started for the new museum wing 1977 New exhibits wing opens 1978 New planetarium opens 1991 Museum closes for renovation and construction 1992 Expanded changing exhibit area and new wing opens 1996 Underground IMAX® Theater and Educational building opens; Pink

Palace Mansion re-opens to public 1999 Sharpe Planetarium renovation completed


2. Analysis of Site

The Pink Palace Museum is located in a residential neighborhood near the

geographical center of the City of Memphis. This majestic 9.7 acre site is

bounded on all four sides by roadways: Central Avenue to the south, Lafayette

Street to the east, Tilton to the west and East Goodwyn/Lafayette Place to the

north. Both Lafayette Street (as it intersects with Poplar Avenue) and Central

Avenue connect the museum to the city via heavily traveled east-west

roadways. In contrast, east Goodwyn/Lafayette Place are public roads that

service the surrounding neighborhood, while Tilton is closed to public access.

The mansion is located in the far northern portion of the site and is fronted by a

wide and relatively flat lawn area facing Central Avenue. Below this lawn is

the underground IMAX® Theater and Educational facility. The mansion is the

primary "face" of the property and gives the facility its name. The exhibit wing

of the Museum is on the east side of the mansion, facing Lafayette Street, and

contains the main entrance for the facility. In addition to the main lawn in front

of the mansion, a smaller lawn on the southwest corner of the site provides

visitors with a few picnic tables. These tables are well shaded by mature trees

and provide school groups an area for lunch breaks.

Vehicles enter the property from Central Avenue and Lafayette Street. The

public enters the property from Central Avenue, passing a currently unmanned

guardhouse at the entrance gates. Primary public parking is located in the

east and southeast portions of the property. Some overflow parking spaces

exist along the west side of the mansion. Employees access the property

through automatic gates on Lafayette Street. Employee parking is located on

the north side of the property, near the above-ground loading docks and

employee building entrance. An underground loading dock is located on the

west side of the front lawn and accessed via a ramp. This dock services both

the IMAX® Theater and Educational facility.


1992 Addition

1977 Addition

Museum Entrance

1930 Mansion

1992 Addition

Southwest lawn

Gated Public Entryl

Staff Parking

Front Lawn & 1996 Underground

IMAX® & education

Parking

Gated Staff Entry

Aerial Site Plan


3. Analysis of Building

At almost 160,000 square feet, the Pink Palace is one of the largest facilities of

its kind in the southeast. The facility is comprised of three major buildings, the

mansion (1930), the Exhibit wing (1977 & 1992) and the underground IMAX®

Theater and educational facilities (1996), added in intervals over sixty-six years.

The original functions of these buildings vary from private residence to museum

space.

The first and most prominent building is the mansion (locally known as the Pink

Palace). Originally constructed as a private residence for Clarence Saunders,

this building was designed by Hubert McGee and sheathed in pink Georgian

marble. The cast-in-place and wooden structure was created in a

"Romanesque American Rambling Style as described by McGee. " 1 Eugene J

Johnson and Robert D Russell, Jr. “Memphis-An Architectural Guide”, 1990.

This two-story home, which includes a basement area, is the main face of the

museum facilities. The main floor is primarily used as a special events space,

with some specialized exhibits in the east wing. The second floor of the

mansion serves a back-of-house capacity, housing storage, offices for the

Friends of the Pink Palace and a geological collections laboratory. The

basement of the mansion is primarily crawl space with the exception the

northwest wing. The mansion's northwest basement wing houses a mechanical

room and a special events room. The basement's west wing contains an

abandoned animal processing

laboratory.

The second major building added to the

facility was a wing on the east side of the

mansion. This is angular, windowless

building sheathed in a beige-colored

masonry was built in 1977. This space was

constructed specifically to house

museum facilities and is the primary 1992 addition with original Mansion on the left and 1977 brick façade on the right.


exhibit building on campus. In 1992, the space between the exhibit wing and

the mansion was in-filled with a two-story addition to create the lobby and

vertical circulation space. The additions to the north side added work shops

and administration spaces. The 1992 building is wrapped in pink Georgian

marble and glass with white pre-cast trim. This addition's distinctive barrel vault

covers the escalator and stair lobby creating a double height area. In total

the east wing houses the bulk of the facilities' public spaces including most of

the museum’s exhibition floor space, the Planetarium, restaurant, entrance and

lobby, as well as other back of house functions such as administrative offices,

and collections storage.

An underground building is the final component to the campus. In 1996,

facilities opened beneath the front lawn of the mansion. These new facilities

house the IMAX® Theater and educational spaces as well as administration

areas and event support space.

The varied collection of buildings that make up the Pink Palace Museum

complex may have been designed for different uses, but each promotes the

mission of the Pink Palace Museum. Whether a visitor is watching a movie in

the IMAX® Theater, wandering through the natural history collections,

discovering the constellations in the Planetarium, or exploring the exhibit halls

within the mansion, there is something to inspire them.


Entrance

Planetarium

Natural History Exhibits

Natural History Collections

Lobby

Education

Club Room

Crawl Space

Cultural History Collections

Gift Shop

First Floor Plan Existing

IMAX® Theater


Cultural History Exhibits

Temporary Exhibits

Ballroom Theater

Mansion Lobby

Administration

Exhibit Hall

Second Floor Plan Existing

Mansion Entry Level


Friends of the Pink Palace

Roof

Third Floor Plan Existing


4. Analysis of Building Functions

Entrance

The entrance to the museum is located on the east side of the 1977 exhibit

wing , out of direct line-of-sight from the main Central Avenue visitor’s

entrance. The view of the entrance is further obscured by landscaping,

including beams and large trees. The entrance blends into the rest of the

building façade and is hard to identify, as there is a lack of visual hierarchy

between the entrance and the

rest of the 1977 addition. First-time

visitors have further difficulties

finding the entrance because it is

recessed beneath a second story

overhang.

The existing lobby is confusing,

and unwelcoming. Also, Museum

staff would like to redesign the

lobby to create a more dramatic

impression on the visitor. Currently

visitors have a difficult time

determining where to start their

visit, are unclear on what their

choices are, and experience too

much competing visual

information. Final design

decisions must serve visitors’

needs while allowing the lobby to

make the inspiring impression that prepares them for a great experience. The

redesign of the entry space should be conscious of the following visitor needs:

Museum’s hidden and nondescript entry

The openness of the escalator stair lobby creates a dramatic space.


• First Impressions: Establish a welcoming tone

• Identity: Signal the thrust of the museum’s focus

• Visitor Comfort: Provide logistical clarity (where to start, buy tickets,

organize the visit)

• Creating Excitement: Provide some dramatic visual elements

• Offer Orientation: Introduce the museum and answer such questions as,

what is this place? What can I expect to find here? What should I do

first?

A clean and clear visitor entry experience is

of primary importance for a good social

and learning experience. A separate

entrance, close to the main entrance, for

school groups would also reduce confusion

and provide an opportunity to meet their

unique logistical needs. Studies show

school visits to museums are most successful

with excellent logistical clarityFFFFF2FFFFF, so that

valuable student time is not spent in

excessive space orientation.

For the casual visitor, today’s museum offers

many alternative routes. It is presently

difficult to sort them out or to be certain of

directions and wayfinding. The entry

experience should begin the process of identifying clear pathways to specific

components of the museum. This may be accomplished with signage, symbols,

verbal explanations, or floor maps, among others. The important thing is that

the layout and choices for the visit be well-defined, so that visitors can match

their expectations to their time and interests. It may be advisable to offer

2 Beverly Shepherd, Institute of Learning Innovation. UUUUAppendix D-References Related to Master Plan ReportUUUU (Internal Email), July 2, 2011

Arrival experiences generate a first impression and underpin the institution’s identity. The entry should signal comfort, excitement, and engagement. The Field Museum, Chicago


suggested routes for different types of visitors or for visitor groups with time

limitations.

The concerns with entry way finding are extended throughout the museum.

Currently, way finding within the museum itself is difficult. Part of creating a

compelling visitor experience is providing the kind of signage that avoids

confusion, offers direction and builds interest in what lies ahead. Visitor

orientation should be a critical part of the design process. Using advance

organizers and transitional devices would also be effective.

Attention to orientation and clear pathways is also significant in addressing

another visitor concern, often referred to as “museum fatigue.” Museums can

be overwhelming spaces, filled with so many different intriguing objects and

ideas. The experience often overwhelms visitors and provides too much visual

stimulation. Not only is it unnatural to read standing up (as in the case of

labels), but long periods of standing and walking also take their toll on visitor

energy and attention. Museums have learned that visitor comfort is an essential

part of a rewarding experience. Consequently, clear pathways and areas to

rest and reflect are ways of respecting visitors and encouraging longer stays.

Presently, the visitor flow through the museum does not allow for clear

transitions between galleries and topics and does not provide places for rest

and thought. The resulting confusion and disorientation works against optimal

experience.

Lobby

Visitors enter the facility doors through a 10' - 2" high overhang projecting more

than 12' - 0" towards Lafayette Street. The low ceiling height of the lobby, while

not uncomfortable at this height, lacks the feeling of openness many grand

museum facilities have.

The lobby area serves many functions for the facility; however, its primary uses

should be ticketing and as the primary orientation location for the museum.

Within the lobby area there are a few introductory exhibits; small cases feature


planetary science displays, including meteorites and shatter cones. These

small exhibits give visitors a glimpse of exhibits to come. In addition to the small

display cases, the walls in the lobby have been used for photography and art

exhibitions.

From this single point of arrival, museum users are oriented, ticketed, and then

make choices to enter the exhibits, the Planetarium, or the museum store and

restaurant. In addition to these important uses of the lobby, this area also

serves as a de facto waiting/gathering/queuing area for the Planetarium

participants, schools and other groups. Because of this de-facto function, the

lobby can get extremely congested and noisy when multiple groups or classes

are waiting for scheduled events. Adding to this congestion is the entrance to

the Planetarium, as well as a bank of public restrooms.

The design team has observed that the lack of helpful signage often led new

visitors to enter the natural history exhibition space to the south of the ticketing

booth without knowing that other options to explore the museum exist. Once

in the natural history exhibition space, visitors can wander through more than

14,000 square feet of exhibit space on the first floors and flow upstairs to the

cultural history exhibits and the rest of the museum.

Another option exists for visitors; they can enter the double height escalator

and stair lobby and ascend to the second floor. Once on the second floor

visitors can enter the cultural and history exhibit spaces, the Bodine Exhibit Hall

where temporary exhibits are housed, or make their way into the Mansion's

exhibit spaces. Unfortunately, most first time visitors are not aware of this option

because the escalator lobby is hidden behind the ticketing booth, blocking

the visitors’ line of sight.

The main lobby, where the escalator and stairs are located, does more than

simply house additional vertical circulation for the second floor: it serves as a

connector to the IMAX® Theater and contains the museum's restaurant. Guests

wishing to view a show in the IMAX® Theater must pass through the main lobby.

Once in the main lobby, the lower level of the museum containing the IMAX®


Theater and other educational spaces are accessed via a stairway and

elevator located behind the escalators and stairs. It is in this lower area that an

additional bank of public restrooms is located.

Exhibits

Serving as a beacon for the Natural History

Exhibitions, various cases of prepared

skeletons- some laid out as scientific

specimens, others in-situ postures - call out

to visitors. Much of the labeling within these

exhibitions illuminate specific biological

adaptations and evolution of the various

species displayed. Within the Natural

History Exhibitions is a gallery of birds and

insects presented in a field-guide manner.

Vitrines feature taxidermy specimens, eggs,

and nests, helping visitors learn about the

various insects and birds featured within.

Another draw to the Natural History area is

a diorama of various large mammals

including bison, coyote, black bears, elk

and white-tailed deer. This diorama helps to anchor an exhibition dedicated to

the wildlife of the Mid-South region.

Rollo, the Pink Palace’s robotic dinosaur, acts as the greeter to a series of

exhibits addressing the prehistoric Mid-South.

At one time, Rollo was a cutting-edge

exhibit—a one-third life size Triceratops that

moved and roared. It is perhaps emblematic

of the Museum’s need to refresh its exhibits

that Rollo is beyond repair and is now silent

and still. The exhibit A Walk Through Time

Fossils from Coon Creek are among the Museum’s most spectacular natural history specimens.

Collections Highlights

Python (skeleton) donated by the

Memphis Zoo

Large mammal taxidermy mounts

(bison, elk, bear, deer)

Ivory-billed Woodpecker

(taxidermy)

Working seismograph

Cook Creek conglomerate fossils

Mosasaur in shallow relief

Model of Dilophosaurus

Mastodon (cast)

Minerals of the World


takes visitors on a journey through 4.6 million years. Here, many fossils and casts

of Paleozoic and Mesozoic animals give visitors a glimpse of creatures that

once called this area home. Nearby, a small geology section showcases

interesting rock and mineral specimens and proves (thanks to a working

seismograph) the dynamic nature of Mid-South geology. The Natural History

Exhibitions culminate with displays of large-scale dinosaurs and other prehistoric

animals, including a cast mosasaur in shallow relief, casts of a mastodon, and a

fleshed-out model of Dilophosaurus.

A visitor's experience within the Social and Cultural History Galleries typically

begins at the rear of the gallery, as visitors

enter through the Natural History Gallery.

The Paleo Indian period greets visitors at

the top of the rear staircase. In this area

visitors find impressive displays of pottery

in the shapes of human heads as well as

bowl-shaped vessels with effigies of dogs

and sea monsters. The historic period

(representing Quapaw Indians) is replete

with similar pottery examples.

The circulation experience of visitors

hereafter is guided by large iconic installations allowing visitors to choose the

order in which they experience the exhibits. Within these iconic installations is

an 1840s reconstructed cabin housing items a settler of the time might possess.

The story of slavery in Memphis is recounted with only two artifacts, a slave ball

and irons, plus several documents. Diorama-like installations depicting a

surgical tent and a field artillery crew with cannon chronicle the Civil War.

A full- scale replica of a country store invites visitors to experience and learn

how the earliest Memphians lived. Within the store, visitors find grocery and

pharmacy goods as well as various hardware items. Nearby, a late 19th

Century music room displays the elaborate furnishings and treasures of ‘artistic

clutter’ of the period.

Different audiences seek different experiences. Exhibits in the Cultural History Galleries feature themed and theatrical displays (like a recreated dentist’s office) and cases of various objects with little context.


A large portion of the exhibit space is

devoted to the story of the yellow fever

epidemics of the 1870s. Displays

contain curious medical instruments

and remedies associated with Memphis

in this period. From here, visitors wander

directly into the expanded exhibit From

Saddlebags to Science. This exhibit

profiles the history of medicine, dentistry,

nursing and pharmacy in Memphis. A

few small-scale impressive dioramas

(including a dentist’s office and a

doctor’s office) are contained here with

a plethora of curious apothecary items

to explore. In homage to the original

owner of the Pink Place, a full-scale

reproduction of the first 1916 Piggly Wiggly store invites visitors to enter and

browse the store’s shelves. Here one finds interesting grocery products, some

surprisingly familiar to this day.

The gallery concludes with the Clyde Park Circus, a piece of folk art from the

Great Depression. This automated circus is run on a schedule – four times a day

– to the delight of children and families.

The uniquely Memphian culture and smattering of personal history are

celebrated within the exhibits of the Pink

Palace Mansion. Visitors are greeted with

a collection of objects related to

Memphis’ music history, such as Elvis

Presley’s military uniform and W.C.

Handy’s trumpet. After the Memphis

music history collection, visitors progress to

a gallery of women’s costumes and


Mastodon bone bearing butchering

marks

Effigy pottery

Slave irons and slave ball of cast iron

Civil War era cannon

Doctor’s kits and mourning attire

Abe Plough copper kettle

Harper’s prints pertaining to the

yellow fever epidemic

Piggly Wiggly Reproduction and stock

Holiday Inn “great sign” model

Clyde Park Circus


Elvis Presley’s Army uniform

W.C. Handy’s trumpet

Women’s gowns

Pheobe Omlie collection

Cotton Carnival costumes and props


stories. Of special interest here is the Phoebe Omlie exhibit, celebrating a local

wing-walking stunt pilot.

A small room beyond the women’s exhibit showcases the story of the Cotton

Carnival that took place in Memphis prior to 1970. Elaborate costumes and

props relay the story of the historic, Mardi Gras-like Memphis Cotton Maker’s

Jubilee and Carnival.

The current museum has many attractive and interesting exhibits, but they lack

a connecting thread. One moves from dinosaurs to the Native American

Collection without explanation. Although both are interesting, they only

suggest a diffuse storyline that requires clarification. The staff noted the Clyde

Parke circus display and acknowledged the popularity of the shrunken head –

both apparently visitor favorites. The staff also noted that it is difficult to fit both

into an overarching interpretive idea. These issues repeatedly suggest that an

organizing structure is necessary to optimize the visitor experience and

subsequent understanding. Exhibit decisions must provide connections to core

ideas and the rationale for the inclusion of specific objects. To take but one

example, the placement of the shrunken head in the mansion’s Special Events

space is highly disconcerting. Were it to be incorporated into an exhibition

about the museum’s history describing how collections are acquired, however,

it would be both interesting and informative.

Planetarium

Working under a separate contract with Askew Nixon Ferguson Architects and

Helping Planetariums Succeed, the Museum is currently in progress to renovate

and expand the interior area of the Planetarium, add and reorient the seating

and to upgrade the projection technology. Full Dome Video projection, a

dramatic and exciting new technology, will be used in the renovated

Planetarium. This project is now underway and scheduled for completion

prior to the Museum’s expansion/ renovation.


Education

Much of the current educational programming focuses on the school

audience – clearly a major audience for the museum. Developing programs

around educational curriculum standards, as well as utilizing the excellent

laboratory space adds incentive, justification and utility to school visits. The

education staff is highly motivated and energetic, and recognizes the

importance of nurturing positive school relationships. While the emphasis on

curriculum standards and the standards themselves are likely to change over

time it is important to keep the new exhibits closely related to the standards.

Connections to curriculum standards are necessary and complementary real-

world experiences such as a museum visit expands traditional classroom skills.

Allowing students to explore and experience ideas in different ways in a

compelling learning environment has the added bonus of engaging walk-in

visitors as well as planned school tours.

The Education facilities, housed in the 1992 underground addition adjacent to

the IMAX® Theater, are a recent addition to the Pink Palace and seem to be in

good condition and are functioning adequately.

The Family Audience

The museum’s strategic plan cites focus group findings that the museum should

be more interactive and engaging. Not only does hands-on learning deepen

the learning experience for most visitors, it also increases the desire of many

family audiences to have fun together. The family audience is the fastest-

growing audience group attending museums today, and intergenerational

audiences are a core part of the museum’s visitation.

Currently, parents and children have many things to see during their visit, but

not many things to actively engage in together. There is a need for exhibits

that allow families to interact with both the exhibit and each other. Families

have a variety of interests, but in many cases that agenda includes spending

quality time together with the added value of a learning experience. Many

families interviewed in museum research suggest that they look for experiences


in which they can all engage, continue to talk about, and even find ways to

pursue further outside the museum.FFFFF3

Museums are optimal places for such experiences, and the Pink Palace, with its

broad ranging exhibits, could claim an important niche as a lively and

fascinating family destination. The redesign, therefore, should consider the

inclusion of many more opportunities for interactive learning and for

scaffolding of information, so that both children and adults can contribute to

the conversation and sense of discovery.

Numerous studies suggest that exhibits should allow visitors to gather around

them, rather than always standing in front of them, to better spark conversation

and social engagement.FFFFF4FFFFF The present exhibits do not address the variety of

visitor learning styles that have been identified in museums. Offering more

ways to approach learning – interactive, experimental, programmatic and

technology-driven – would go a long way toward enabling multiple

generations to learn more from each other.

Collections Storage

There are two primary collection storage areas in the Museum. One was

created specifically for storage of collections, and the other exists as an ad

hoc storage space. One collection area is located in the north end of the 1977

addition while the second is adjacent to the Natural History exhibit hall in the

1977 addition. They are at opposite ends of the 1977 addition. The larger area

is adjacent to new labs and offices added in 1992. The distance between the

two collections is too far apart for staff interaction.

As a part of the 1977 expansion, a three-story space was constructed for

collections storage. A storage rack system was added in the 1992 expansion

and includes elevator access. This larger storage area, which houses the

cultural history collection, is adjacent to new labs and offices added at the

3,4 Beverly Shepherd, Institute of Learning Innovation. UUUUAppendix D-References Related to Master Plan Report UUUU (Internal Email), July 2, 2011


same period. The entire three story storage area is currently full without room to

expand. The museum has had to turn down offers due to lack of space.

The second collection storage area, houses the biology and geology

collections. It is located in space east of the natural history exhibit area. The

biology and geology collections are stored in cabinets and drawers which take

up a large amount of floor space but do not utilize the relatively high ceiling

space. This area is using floor space that could be utilized as exhibition space.

Special Events / Rentals

The Museum, especially the mansion and the front lawn, is a very popular

location for special events in Memphis, averaging more than one event a

week. However, the ability to host very large events is limited by catering and

back-of-house limitations.

One of Memphis' more popular locations for weddings is the mansion’s large

front lawn and grand lobby staircase. In fact, the museum hosted 54 weddings

in 2009. However, the mansion is not currently well-suited to host this and other

types of large events due to its multi-room layout. In addition, the catering

service facilities within the mansion are not adequate for large functions.

The current catering set-up consists of one

small room with two stainless steel work

tables. This space does not contain any

appliances to support catering a large

event, such as warming drawers,

microwave, ice machine or sink. The

current water supply for the catering area is

accessed within the adjacent janitor's

closet. The main level of the mansion,

where weddings and other events are held, is accessed through the second

floor of the east wing. Because there is no direct access to the mansion for the

Mansion catering facility


loading and unloading of catering supplies, all catering and event supplies are

wheeled past exhibit spaces and visitors.

Open spaces within the exhibit wing are more conducive for holding large

events, though these areas are limited as well. The escalator and stair lobby on

the second floor has available open floor space as well as high ceiling and

views to the front lawn and mansion. It is, however, difficult to isolate this space

from visitors, the exhibit areas, and the mansion, resulting in the space’s

availability being restricted to after-hours events. The proximity to collections

and exhibits limits circulation of food and drink.

Isolating public visitor spaces from rental areas is currently difficult, if not

impossible. The layout of the first floor is broken up by the ticketing booth and

the escalator/ stair access. These structural barriers prevent the museum from

utilizing the open area created by both the entrance lobby and the restaurant

dining area to create one large event space. In addition, there is, again, no

dedicated catering kitchen in the east wing. Currently the employee break

room and corridor space serve as improvised catering staging areas.

Administrative

The Administrative offices on the second floor of the museum are currently

adequate to handle the number of staff. There are some cosmetic and

technology upgrades required, especially in the Board Room. The

Administrative staff break room is located on the second floor of the mansion,

which also requires some modernizing.

Guest Services

Ticketing Booths

The facility is well served by four ticketing booths. These booths are located in

the middle of the lobby area and are adequate to handle the volume of

visitors the facility receives. The location of the booths, though, obstructs visitor


views to the open escalator and stair lobby. A lower ceiling height at ticketing

makes the lobby feel smaller.

Membership Office

The Membership office is located near the doors and is in a good location to

capture the attention of visitors as they leave. The office is separated from the

rest of the lobby by a glass storefront system which restricts sound but not the

view.

Call Center

The Call Center is located in a converted museum orientation theater in a

prime area adjacent to the lobby and exhibit hall. As the service has no direct

face-to-face relationship with the visitors, this function should be relocated to

an area away from the lobby area.

Information Desk

The location of the information desk is directly north of the entrance doors. This

location, although adjacent to the entrance, is directly behind visitors as they

enter the door. It is not well identified and is housed behind a nondescript

counter. A successful information desk should be highly visible and have

clearly marked, easily readable signage.

Retail

The retail store occupies the largest space in the lobby and has good sales

figures. The store suffers from two main issues: location and storage. The

location of the store is not in the path of departing visitors, and is hidden from

departing visitors by the ticket booth and office. Relocating the store would

easily solve this issue.

The retail store’s adjoining stock room is too small to meet current demands.

There are three other satellite storage rooms within the facility (two within the

mansion and an area by the loading dock). The multiple locations make re-


stocking time-consuming. Providing the retail store with nearby stock rooms

would alleviate this issue.

Food Services

The restaurant is tucked away in the far northwest corner of the escalator

lobby. It struggles to pull in a dining crowd, possibly due to its location, dated

décor, utilitarian lighting, or lack of visual interest. In addition, the kitchen is too

small for a successful sit-down restaurant. Relocating the restaurant to a highly

visible area, updating the decor and lighting, as well as providing a larger

kitchen would go a long way toward creating a successful restaurant.

Public Amenities

Restrooms

There are seven sets of public bathrooms located within the museum facilities.

In addition to these there are two sets of staff bathrooms, a restroom

dedicated to the dressing area for the theater, and a restroom for the staff

near the third floor mansion break room.

The east wing, containing both the 1977 and 1992 additions has two banks of

public bathrooms on each of the two floors. All are handicap accessible and

appear to be in good condition. The first floor of the east wing houses a large

bank of bathrooms near the gift shop and is accessed through the lobby. A

smaller second bank of restrooms is located west of the gift shop and is

accessed from the escalator and stair lobby, making both banks of restrooms

central in this wing.

The restrooms are more dispersed on the second floor of the east wing. A large

bank of restrooms is accessed from the second floor of the main lobby, almost

directly over the first floor large restroom bank. The second set of public

restrooms on the second floor is accessed from within the cultural history

exhibits, in the northwest corner of this space. In addition to the public

restrooms, there are two sets of staff bathrooms, one on the second floor and a


much smaller set of bathrooms on the third floor/roof level within the access to

the mansion. The second floor employee restrooms are a small bank of

restrooms accessed from the Administration area in the northern part of this

wing. The only non-handicap accessible restrooms in this wing are located at

the third floor/roof level connection to the mansion. These single seat

bathrooms are reserved for staff. Within the underground addition, there is one

very large bank of restrooms to the east of the IMAX® Theater. These restrooms

appear to be in good condition and are handicap accessible.

The mansion has restrooms at every level but only the first and second floors

have public restrooms. All of these public restrooms are handicap accessible.

The first floor of the mansion has one small bank of restrooms available to the

public; these are located off of the Club room. A single restroom is located on

the far west side of the mansion, though this is an employee-only restroom and

is not handicap accessible. The mansion's second floor has one set of public

restrooms, also handicap accessible, located to the south of the ball room. A

staff bathroom is located on the third floor of the mansion; this restroom is not

accessible to the public nor is it handicap accessible.

Structural

The museum facilities consist of three different buildings constructed over a

period of eighty years. The structural section of the report is broken into the

three main sections based on the three buildings being studied: the mansion

(1930), the east wing (1977) addition, and the east wing (1992) infill. Existing

structural drawings as well as photographs and on-site observations were used

to determine the characteristics of each building. Unfortunately, architectural

drawings for the mansion cannot be found and therefore structural information

for the mansion was gathered from photographs and physical observation

alone.

The following is a summary of the Structural analysis and report by Tom Robison, structural engineer. The full report can be found in the appendix.


Various types of structures were constructed at three different times over the

last 80 years at the Pink Palace. Available structural documents were reviewed

to determine the building’s characteristics and an opinion of its seismic

strengths and weaknesses. The existing lateral force resisting systems in each

structure will be noted and a seismic opinion will be based on a general

assessment taking into consideration the level of seismic protection which was

required by the prevailing code at the time of design and construction. The

only way to fully determine the level of seismic protection provided by the

lateral force resisting systems presently constructed would be a complete

seismic analysis which is beyond the scope of this project. The available

structural documents are limited to the exhibit building and its infills. The

drawings for the mansion cannot be located at this time. For this narrative the

buildings are as follows:

• Building 1. 1922: The mansion was constructed

• Building 2. 1974: The east exhibit wing was constructed.

• Building 3. 1992: The two infills to the exhibit wing were

constructed. (The underground education addition is not

included in the study.)

Building 1: The Mansion

The first building constructed in 1922 was the mansion. Structurally there is little

information available. There are no drawings or photographs of the

construction. In a recent walk through, it was noted that the basement area is

cast-in-place concrete floor, walls, beams and slab above in the first level.

Floors above this level appear to be concrete slabs (thickness not known). The

wall/column structures are not known. Designers have been told that the walls

are load bearing brick. Based on what was seen, the structural condition of the

building appears to be good. A few roof leaks were noted but damage from

the leaks was minimal. Obviously there were no seismic provisions in the 1922

building code for this area of the country. That combined with not knowing

anything about the structural framing makes it difficult to speculate on the

available seismic resistance for this building.


Building 2: Exhibit Building

The second phase of construction took place after 1974. The architect was

Thorn-Howe-Stratton-Strong. Consulting Engineer was TLM Associates, Inc. This

structure is separated near the center by a construction joint at the second

floor and roof. In 1974 there were no provisions in the Standard Building Code

which required that seismic design be performed. As noted earlier there are a

fair amount of perimeter walls, some load-bearing concrete and some non-

load bearing block. These walls provide shear resistance to lateral forces

independent of the designer’s intent. Upon reviewing the drawings, it is

believed that these two buildings possibly could be seismically retrofitted

following an extensive seismic analysis.

Buildings 3: Exhibit Building: Suppor

Architectural & Exhibit Master Plan Programming Phase › sites › 516 › uploaded › files ›...

Documents

Transcript of Architectural & Exhibit Master Plan Programming Phase › sites › 516 › uploaded › files ›...