Art Museum Research Paper

Art museums have always been compared to older ceremonial monuments such as palaces and temples (Duncan, 1995, p. 242). Museums over the course of history have taken their architectural design ideas from the adorned designs of religious temples and palaces. This has been a long-standing practice of museums borrowing architectural forms from monumental ceremonial structures of the past (Duncan, p. 242). Museums adopted the grand embellishments of temples to show the importance of what was inside. These innate architectural designs of museums let visitors know that they will be embarking on a passage of rituals that lead to enlightenment and contemplation as soon as they enter the illuminating world of art.
Museums are normally set apart from other structures by their mountable architecture and clearly defined precincts (Duncan, p. 246). By setting the building back from the street and placing it by public recreational areas such as Civic Center Park, it allows people to know that it is an important place for public enjoyment. It lets people know that is it a fun welcoming activity such as the inviting feel of a beautiful open public park. By creating contrast amongst the art museum and the …show more content…
245) Just like a palace or temple, an art museum houses many works of art along with performance that transforms the space into a cultural ritual. In art museums, it is the visitor who enacts the ritual (Duncan, p. 428). When a visitor enters the art museum, they embark on a journey of enlightenment through a series of rituals. A ritual maybe described as something an individual enacts alone by following a prescribed path (Duncan, p. 428). When entering the Denver Art Museum, the visitor is directed towards the ticket counter by rows of barricades and a sign that directs the visitor towards the ticket sales