CMU School of Drama


Monday, February 19, 2018

David Adjaye's spy museum opens in New York

www.dezeen.com: British architect David Adjaye has completed work on New York's museum of spying, which invites its first visitors to become undercover agents this weekend.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

How cool is this! I really loved reading this article, and it gave me a new place to put on my museum bucket list. I think that interactive museums can always be a little bit of a gamble as they often make me think of children's museum with a bunch of people running around and pressing buttons without really learning anything about what the exhibits are actually supposed to expose museum goers to. However, it seems like the Spyscape museum has figured out a way to combine learning about cool gadgets and learning about history of spies and spying while also giving people a real taste of what it might be like to be a spy. The use of media in this museum also seem to be essential to most of the exhibits within Spyscape, and I think that the innovation used in regards to media would be very cool to see and visit. I hope to go to the museum soon!

Rebecca Meckler said...

This sounds less like a museum and more like an escape room. That being said, this museum sound like an amazing experience. I think most people tend to think of museums as boring places where you stare at pieces of art from behind a rope or piece of glass. Hopefully, people will see this interactive museum and be engaged to learn something about espionage. This is an exciting way to immerse people in the world and learn about the spy craft. However, I’m worried that these types of museum will detract from traditional museums and people will no longer be interested in going to other museums. In addition, these interactive museums may force other museums to develop unnecessary and expensive knock off versions to attract guests. This would hurt other museums and could potentially cause them to close. Overall, this sounds like an exciting adventure and wonderful way to experience a museum.

Mary Emily Landers said...

This museum seems so interesting and definitely combines the interactive museum with an almost escape room, as Rebecca said. I think this is a very interesting way to keep people engaged throughout the course of the museum. Rather than just having people walk through and viewing everything through a glass window, this allows visitors to truly be immersed into the experience of a spy and have an unparalleled visiting experience. I hope that more types of these museums emerge- particularly for the peculiar and eclectic topics- so more people are able to get into things they might have not found otherwise. This brings forward a new audience and allows people to interact with people, the material, and the environment in a new way. I think there is definitely still a large value in the traditional museum experience, but this will definitely add another layer to different topics and museums that people would not go to otherwise.

Mattox S. Reed said...

This is hitting a home run in my book but calling it a museum just doesn't seem right anymore. This is apart of what I would call the new age of interactive museum's that are popping up around the country and world now-a-days. This museum brings back so many different memories for me and I can see how the different aspects can work together. Like the old spy museum in D.C. I remember going to as a kid where it can combine both government history with pop culture to captivate both audiences young and new. It also makes me think of things like the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta with its interactive and individual experiences to help the visitor involved with the story as a whole. There are so many cool things that will bring this "museum" to a become a great success. It may not happen over night but it will quickly become an experience for anyone in New York.

Emma Patterson said...

This sounds like a really interesting partnership between an interactive escape room with a traditional museum. I personally, have learned to love traditional museums, where you wander from room to room, however you’re compelled to be in the space. The idea of interactive museums really appeal to my inner-child and the part of me that is really curious about the design that goes in to creating a space where the elegance of a museum can work in tandem with the excitement of technology to bring about something remarkable. I also really enjoy museums that are specific and catered to specific interest groups. I think that it’s a really interesting way to celebrate existing enthusiasts, while bringing new people in to be educated on the topic and spreading knowledge and information. I think that the idea of the Identity Band that tracks the visitors journey adds another interesting component that allows people to feel even more a part of the experience. Aesthetically, I think the color scheme and use of light and dark throughout the exhibit enhances the technological aspects and creates a really beautiful and exciting atmosphere.