Lazaridou, Athina; Psarra, Sophia; (2025) Spatial performances and the three-dimensional impact of atria in three museum buildings. The Journal of Architecture , 30 (2) pp. 1-29. 10.1080/13602365.2025.2568544.

Text Manuscript Lazaridou-Psarra.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 27 May 2027. Download (1MB)

Abstract

This paper explores how the architectural design of atria museums shapes spatial relations between atria and galleries, and, effectively, visitors’ exploration patterns. The manner in which the architecture of atrium buildings organises the relationship between functionality and aesthetics is based on the three-dimensional arrangement of galleries and voids, shaping human movement. However, both individual and collective movement within museums is inherently complex and unpredictable. What happens when we systematically map visitors’ movement in a museum? What kinds of patterns emerge? How does the placing of key spaces, such as atria, shape these patterns and what do they reveal about visitors’ decisions, in terms of seeing and going? To address these questions, we examine three atria museums: the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, UK, the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, UK, and the Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece. Through detailed mapping and analysis of visitors’ movement, our study reveals that these museums generate similar patterns of movement. Two primary arteries of aggregate circulation emerge, initially diverging as visitors take different paths before ultimately converging around the atria. Despite no intentional design to dictate this flow, the architecture of atria museums results in the creation of two distinct spatial cultures, with visitors circling the voids in opposite directions. Beyond identifying movement patterns, this study captures how architectural design shapes the transient and emergent nature of human performance inside complex buildings.

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