A Publication of BROWNING DAY MULLINS DIERDORF ARCHITECTS

DESIGN INFORM
Creative Design Ideas for Museums and Cultural Institutions

VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

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DESIGN INFORM
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2

A Publication of Browning Day

Mullins Dierdorf Architects
626 North Illinois Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317.635.5030 Fax: 317.634.5409
www.bdmd.com

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from the designer

Welcome to this special issue of DESIGN
INFORM. This issue focuses on our
practice and experience with museum
and cultural institution design. Our choice
of a name for this magazine is very
purposeful to illustrate the benefit of
creative design solutions in architectural
and landscape architectural design.
This issue is very special for two reasons.
First, the American Association of
Museums Convention will be held in
Indianapolis May 1-5, 2005. Many of the
projects illustrated in this magazine will
be complete and open to the public in
time for the Convention. Browning Day
Mullins Dierdorf Architects is pleased to
have the Eiteljorg Museum of American
Indians and Western Art and the
Indianapolis Museum of Art Renovation
and Expansion open for the museum
leaders visiting Indianapolis. The second
reason this issue is special is that we are
also featuring the museum expertise of
our consultant partners. The talents of
these creative individuals are essential in
providing the level of expertise you
expect to fulfill your institutions vision.
Can quality design draw and inspire the
public to visit a museum or institution? It
most certainly can. The architecture of the
museum is the institutions signature.
This signature has to be crafted very
carefully in landscape architecture and
building architecture, inside and out. The
Eiteljorg Museum artfully creates a

material palate in color, texture and form

that captures the feeling of the Southwest
to form a respectful and appropriate
backdrop for art and artifacts. This blurs
the line between architecture and exhibit.
The Indianapolis Museum of Art
Expansion creates a visitor experience
that integrates the historic site features to
the architecture which becomes
transparent, where appropriate, to
promote this inside/outside connection.
The new Efroymson Entry Pavilion will
stand as a lasting icon to the community
illustrating the creative boldness of the
museum.
Creative design is very important to
BDMD Architects. Our work is not done in
a vacuum but in collaboration between
our design leadership and the leadership
of the institutions stakeholders. I hope
you see the connection between creative
design and the success of a museum.
For those of you coming to Indianapolis to
the AAM MuseumExpo, stop by and visit
with us at Booth Number 1007. For those
of your who are unable to attend, let me
hear from you about how we might serve
your museum needs.

Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Executive Vice President
Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

contents
The Art of Museum Design .......................................................................................4
by Lacey M. Deal, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Developing the Right Program Is Essential to Successful Design.....................8

DESIGN INFORM is published by
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by Marnie M. Maxwell

Designing with the Senses in Mind ......................................................................10

by Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA

Herron School of Art Designed to Inspire Young Artists...................................14

by David M. Long AIA, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Eiteljorg Expansion Design Leads Museum to New Opportunities................18

by Maya L. Laurent, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

Museum Design: The Art of Lighting....................................................................21

by Charles G. Stone II

Museum Store Design Enhances Institutions Mission .....................................22

by Andrew Andoniadis

Designing an Award Winning Hall of Fame.........................................................24

by John M. Dierdorf AIA

Visitor Center Enhances Historical Significance .................................................28

by Stephen A. Hoersten
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

Cultural Institutions Discover Added Facility Rental Income ...........................30

by Arthur M. Manask

The Art of Mus

or the past two and a half years, Indianapolis has

watched this community icon undergo a dynamic
transformation. In an effort to enhance visitor
latitude and broaden community involvement, the IMA
has taken steps to provide improved facilities for both
the experience of art and art education for the public.

The new Deer-Zink Events Pavilion will serve as host to

both public and private events.
4

The $74 million project is the answer to seven years of

planning and design focused upon the museum and the
direction that could be taken in the future. One of the
first goals of site development was to open the museum
to the street edge. This is occurring by enhancing the
image of the existing 38th Street entrance and adding a
DESIGN INFORM

useum Design
by Lacey M. Deal,
Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

In 1883, May Wright Sewall, principal of the Girls

Classical School of Indianapolis, joined with 17 other
city residents to found what would later become
known as the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Her idea
that life in the city would be richer and more
rewarding if there was an accessible collection of art
to the public has stood for over a century and still
prevails through both the philosophy and future
direction of the growing museum.

The design of IMAs expansion makes the museum more

accessible to the public and gives the site a unified quality.

main entrance off Michigan Road. This will provide a more

welcoming view to the visitor, including a direct view to the
Lilly Oldfield Gardens and supported by a tree-lined allee
leading to the museum structures. As the visitor proceeds
toward the museum, they will be met by new gardens and
a redesigned landscape embracing the existing Sutphin
Fountain.
The building design centers around three new structures,
making the museum more accessible to the public and
giving the site a more unified quality. The new interior space
will be expanded by 171,842 square feet, as well as 119,833
square feet in renovated areas.
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

The design of the first structure stemmed from the

recognition of the need for an open and inviting entry to
the new museum. The Efroymson Entry Pavilion a twostory oval structure embodied through glass and
stainless steel will become an outdoor space located
inside the building. The Pavilion will serve as a transition
space from the gardens outside to the display areas
within. Located close to the Pavilion will be a restaurant,
an enhanced museum store, restroom facilities and coat
check. The structure itself incorporates a glass curtain
wall system, stainless steel trusses and sunshades. The
collaboration with Scottish engineer Tim MacFarlane, of
Dewhurst MacFarlane and Partners, and other engineers,
5

The new Efroymson Entry Pavilion incorporates a glass curtain

wall system, stainless steel trusses and sunshades.

escalators and elevators. The former parking garage

beneath the museum has now been transformed into
library, educational and art preparation spaces, as
well as administrative offices.

Robert Indianas Numbers will be a landscape element on the IMAs lawn.

led Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects to a

truly unique solution for the Pavilion design.
Parking challenges are being addressed through the
addition of a new underground parking garage
located below the great lawn and allee.
Accommodating 250 spaces, garage users can
access the museum and gardens through stairs,

The second of the three new structures is the Wood

Gallery Pavilion. Where visitors were once met by an
imposing (and often intimidating) set of steps, the
Wood Gallery Pavilion will take shape to provide a
more pleasing experience for guests. Both temporary
exhibits and the museums textiles and decorative
arts collections will be housed in the gallery, which
adds 50 percent more gallery space to the old
museum. Also in this building will be the addition of
two restaurants, including Pucks Fine Dining and a
neighboring caf. A half wall will provide separation
of the restaurants with the caf set slightly above
grade to the restaurant. Pucks will overlook the
existing Sutphin Garden and Fountain and will offer
public dining three nights a week after museum
hours. The remaining four nights will allow for private
parties and gatherings.
The new Deer-Zink Events Pavilion, located on the
north side of the Sutphin Garden and Fountain,
becomes the third structural piece in the IMA design.

DESIGN INFORM

Pucks Fine Dining will offer public dining three nights a week with private parties and gatherings
on the remaining evenings.

It will serve as host to both public

and private events, housing a
banquet facility with capacity for
500 guests. This facility will
allow large-scale events to take
place on museum grounds
without
disturbing
normal
museum operations.

The museum was closed to the

public at the beginning of this
year in final preparation for its
grand opening in May. At that
time, it will serve as host to the
American
Association
of
Museums Conference being held
in Indianapolis.

Because the museum redesign

included a combination of both
building renovation and new
construction, it was important
to use similar materials, colors
and scales to physically and
aesthetically connect the
existing architecture with new
site development. Materials
such as Indiana limestone,
green limestone, zinc and
stainless steel are used
throughout the museums
architecture.

Jonathan R. Hess AIA is the Museum

Designer
and
Executive
Vice
President at Browning Day Mullins
Dierdorf
Architects.
Barth
D.
Hendrickson ASLA, also with BDMD
Architects, was the Landscape
Architect and is an Associate Partner
with the firm. Jon D. Hutslar was the
Site Designer for IMA. Jonathan,
Barth and Jon can be reached at
317.635.5030 or by email at
j r h e s s @ b d m d . c o m ,
bhendrickson@bdmd.com and
jhutslar@bdmd.com.

One of the largest challenges

faced in planning pertained to the
construction phasing of the
project.
The
museum
has
remained open for nearly the
entire duration of construction.
Another area which needed
consideration was keeping room
temperatures of 70 degrees
Fahrenheit and relative humidity
at 50 percent within gallery
spaces to maintain the proper
condition of artwork.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

Developing the Right Program Is

Essential to Successful Museum Design
by Marnie M. Maxwell

ot so very long ago, a donor desiring recognition for his family asked a
science center, If I give you a lot of money, will you build a building and put
my name on it? Only after the museum had accepted the money and
designed and built most of the facility did anyone think to ask, What are we going
to put in this space? Unfortunately, the program was an extreme afterthought
which ended up costing the museum additional money to retrofit a brand-new
building in order to accommodate the program once it was developed.

DESIGN INFORM

As nonprofit organizations, museums are reliant on working with

other peoples money (in the form of philanthropic contributions)
to maximize on the building projects they embark. Because they
have an ethical obligation to be good stewards of the resources
they are given, museums must ensure that capital funds are
spent wisely. The reality is that the dollars go further when the
program and facility are developed together.
Childrens museums and science centers frequently provide two
types of experiences that can have a significant impact on
building design. For example, water tables often are centerpiece
elements that involve toddlers through middle school-age
students in activities that help them build problem solving,
observation and testing skills. Details such as sharing plumbing
in the right space initially could help a museum create a more
cost-efficient water experience in this area. Sand play activities
can also help build the same types of skills but the dust they
create can challenge an improperly designed HVAC system.
In addition to the actual educational content of exhibits,
museums must think about who will be visiting exhibits and the
types of spaces that may be required to support visitors. Some
questions that need to be asked in developing the museums
overall program include:
How long will people spend at the museum on a typical
visit? If the answer is more than two hours, food service
might need to be planned as part of the overall experience.
The type of food service could range from a room where
school groups can consume sack lunches or vending areas
where visitors can obtain snacks and drinks to limited prepackaged offerings (such as pre-made sandwiches) and a
food court or fine dining experience all of which can be
found in todays museums.
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

What is the business model for successful operation? A box

office with queuing area and a museum store often figure into
the revenue equation.
What is free and what is part of the ticket price? The
museum store, food service and restrooms are often times
developed as part of a museums free zone outside of the
ticketed exhibit areas.
How many people will be coming and who are they?
Childrens museums that attract young visitors in great
numbers often need small stools and sinks in restrooms to
accommodate their guests. Conversely, art museums may
not need to make this type of accommodation except,
perhaps, in a school entrance/exit area. The number of visitors
impacts the size and type of circulation spaces developed.
How will people arrive? Cars, school buses and public
transportation all create unique challenges in the design of a
facility from unloading and parking to pulsing visitors into the
exhibits.
Ultimately, there is no single right way to answer any question
regarding the overall program design. The mission and values of
the museum and an institutional commitment to good
stewardship of other peoples money must guide program
designers and architects in finding the appropriate answers for
their museum design.
Marnie M. Maxwell is the President and CEO with Maxwell Associates, Inc.
in Indianapolis, Indiana. Marnie has worked with Browning Day Mullins
Dierdorf Architects on a variety of museum projects. You can reach Marnie
at 317.253.6212 or email at marniem@mmaxwellassoc.com.

Designing with the Sens

by Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA

10

DESIGN INFORM

I
The Indianapolis
Museum of Arts
site plan enhances
the already popular
museum grounds.

t is important to understand the ingredients

for success in differentiating your
organization as a not-for-profit, programdriven entity. Leaving a strong lasting
impression on people thereby encourages
frequent return visits to your museum with their
families and friends. Once travelers arrive at
your front door, the design thought given to that
arrival over months of mission-sensitive
planning goes to work. Browning Day Mullins
Dierdorf Architects museum landscape and site
design focuses on creating a meaningful setting
for education and discovery that cause your
targeted clientele to want to repeat the
experience. We aid in creating memories.
BDMD Architects approach to site and
landscape design is both an art and a science.
The landscape architects making up our
Landscape Architecture and Planning Studio
have varied experiences with cultural
institutions across the country. The key
ingredient in each project is to understand
why people will actually choose to experience
a place and then repeat that experience.
When BDMD Architects was in the analysis
phase of master planning the Indianapolis
Museum of Art in 1997, feedback from surveys
suggested many people chose to visit the
museum property because of its park-like
setting. Despite being visually hidden by a busy
intersection, many people still found this
secluded treasure. Why? Because the museum
had presence as a place for memory making
and discovery.

nses in Mind
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

To expose the public to the museum property

and the new $74 million dollar expansion of
roads, underground parking, paths, gardens and
galleries, visual connections were made to the
propertys interior. A new entrance was
designed to be materially sensitive to the
Olmstead Brothers historic brick wall that
encloses the Lilly Gardens and Grounds, one of
the three venues to experience at the IMA.
Entering through this gateway, options to drive
the grounds unfold through a clear signage
package, and the landscape design opens and
closes views to limit revealing all visual treats
simultaneously.
BDMD Architects took what was great about
the three IMA venues and tied them together
and, in some cases, expanded popular features
such as the Garden For Everyone. This
popular garden, originally designed by Claire
Bennett FASLA, was enhanced to arouse all the

11

senses with diverse accessibility in mind. Paths need to be

thought of as not just accessibile but an experience. The
soft touch of a pubescent lambs ear leaf upon the hand
while moving past a raised bed evokes memories and
pleasant thoughts that will tie this experience back to your
institution. The gurgling water in this garden encourages a
person want to sit back on a wood bench of their own
choosing, close their eyes and give thought to things that
are usually overshadowed by busy daily routines.
The chosen media and subject of an artist are but an
expression of their longing to experience life more
deeplyto give it meaning. The discovery of detail in a
designed landscape has the power to evoke enough
emotion that a memory is made. Discovery and memory
that in turn are shared with others through another visit to
this place, your museum.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians

and Western Art
The great Greeting Indian Chief at the Eiteljorg Museum of American
Indians and Western Art helps move the visitor into the museum.

The sidewalk approach in Indianas White River State Park

to the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western
Art can be visually framed in a way that transports the
visitor far from downtown Indianapolis. Pennisetum and

The Herron School of Arts landscape and site design will

serve as inspiration to the students creating art.

12
12

DESIGN INFORM
INFORM
DESIGN

Miscanthus grasses and Rudbeckia

soften the architecture in such a way
that a visitor cannot help but
experience a visual treat. Pushing
and pulling the eye with color and
texture in the landscape is very
much like the painters brush
moving around the canvas. In the
case above, we move the visitor to
the front door after a short pause to
pay homage to a great Indian chief
at the footsteps of the Museum.

Herron School of Art

BDMD Architects varied landscape
and site design styles suggest that
we focus on bringing your
organizations mission to life through
thoughtful and creative design. The
Herron School of Arts front door
plaza doubles as an extension to an
indoor gallery. On a warm day you
can walk barrier free to and from
these areas. In the evening you can
see up-lit pieces of sculpture framed
by a window into the gallery. The
sculpture pad outside was designed
to allow students to display their
work throughout the year. Another
feature of Herrons garden is the
bold masses of colorful perennials
that were selected to bloom while
students are present on campus,
allowing different settings for
students to be their most creative.
Not all approaches to design take
into consideration a creative
application of the organizations
mission and programs when
thinking about site and landscape
design. Another approach to site
design is to simply move people and
cars in and out of the site in a safe
and utilitarian manner. The sidewalk
approach to the front door is no
different than that to a big box
retailer.
What drives your design and
capital expenditures Utility
or lifelong memory making?
Designing spaces that provide
ingredients toward pinnacles in
the human experience result in
frequent visitation to that place,
whatever the purpose for being
there.
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

The environments at your museum

and what makes them successful are
the ingredients to the success of your
site and landscape design. Museum
site design is about creating the
setting for thoughtful living, memory
making, education and discovery that
make your targeted clientele want to
repeatedly experience the place.
Design elements include its history
and cultural context, natural function
and the client. The landscape and
site design fit into this framework.
The mission of the client, coupled
with creative options for expanding
outdoor programming, has proven
successful in exceeding our clients
expectations of what visitors should
take away from their experience of
the spaces surrounding structures.

The renovated
gardens of the
Indianapolis
Museum of Art
will provide an
extension to the
museum
experience.

Barth D. Hendrickson ASLA is the Director

of Landscape Architecture and an
Associate Partner with Browning Day
Mullins Dierdorf Architects. He can be
reached at 317-635-5030 or by email at
bhendrickson@bdmd.com.

Lawson Elser, Inc.

Engineering Consulting

Structural Engineering Building Investigations

Historic Restoration Feasibility Studies Facade Consulting
650 East Carmel Drive, Suite 150 Carmel, Indiana 46032
317.574.9409 FAX 317.574.9431 lei@lawsonelser.com

13

HERRON SCHOOL
OF ART
Designed to Inspire
Young Artists

by David M. Long AIA, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

After sixty years as an independent art school,

The Herron School of Art and Design became
a school of Indiana University in 1967. Two
years later it became part of Indiana
University Purdue University of
Indianapolis, although its programs
remained in several buildings off
the m a i n c a m p u s i n
d o w n t o w n Indianapolis. In
fall 2005, with the
completion of its new
facility, The Sidney and
Lois Eskenazi Hall,
Herron will finally
come home and
become part
of the IUPUI
campus.

Clerestory
windows will
provide north
light on the
second floor and
a new central
corridor will link
studios and other
programmed
spaces to an
outdoor overlook
of a prominent
city park.

14

DESIGN INFORM

Currently under construction, the new Herron School of Art has 70 studio and
academic spaces including painting and drawing studios, a furniture design
shop, and woodcut and printmaking studios.

The journey began in June 1999 when

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf
Architects was selected to develop a
significant renovation and expansion of
the former Indiana University Law
School on the IUPUI campus, based on
the program developed by Indiana
University and Herron. BDMD Architects
transformed the existing structure by
designing a new face for the old building
and producing a unique and creative
image for Herron. The most dramatic
elements of this image are the series of
rooftop, saw tooth monitors and a
limestone arch framing the main entry
and spanning 214 feet.

Four gallery spaces have been provided within the

Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hall.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

Following a significant fundraising effort,

construction of Herrons new facility was
started in July 2003. When complete,
Eskenazi Hall will contain 165,000
square feet of area, tripling the amount
available in the previous Herron
buildings. The facility will consolidate
Herrons classroom and studio locations
from six to two and will allow Herron to
become a fully integrated member of
the IUPUI community. Herron will also
serve as the cultural link between the
campus and White River State Park,
home of several other cultural
institutions including the Eitlejorg
Museum of American Indians and
Western Art and the Indiana State
Museum.
15

Students and faculty are

greeted at the entrance
with a welcoming
curvilinear feature.
Natural light is brought into
the upper level studio
spaces by a series of northoriented, rooftop monitors.

beginning and advanced darkrooms, individual color darkrooms,

dedicated classrooms and a digital photography lab. Each
programmatic space has been carefully considered and designed
to provide appropriate space to support the formation of the
creative spirit.
A critical consideration in all art facilities is light. At Herron,
natural light is brought into the upper level studio spaces by a
series of north-oriented, rooftop monitors. The skylit studios
were designed with high ceilings to permit light to penetrate
into the space. These high spaces increase the openness of the
studios and accommodate the development of large art pieces.
In addition to the natural lighting, full-spectrum, color balanced
artificial lighting is provided to maintain true color rendition. On the
first level, studios requiring natural light were placed on the north
wall. Academic and support spaces for which natural light were not
critical were placed in the center of the building, but were provided
with high windows to borrow natural light from the northern
studios and corridors, where possible.

The consolidation of Herrons programs in this building will allow for

increased interaction among departments, which was difficult in
the past due to the separation of programs among six facilities. This
interaction will expose students to new methods and techniques
and encourage creative collaborations. The consolidation of space
has also improved program adjacencies, which has allowed for
sharing of utilities and services, such as the dust removal system
for furniture design and the school shop, minimizing duplication of
systems. Various disciplines within individual departments have
been brought together in continuous studio areas, which will
greatly improve the professors ability to teach and interact with
students without needing to travel to different floor levels or
buildings. In all, the new facility has 70 studio and academic spaces
including painting and drawing studios, a furniture design shop and
bench room and etching, woodcut and printmaking studios. The
photography program has been expanded to include group
16

Within Eskenazi Hall, four gallery spaces have been provided. The
primary gallery, adjacent to the two-story Grand Hall and lobby, has
been configured to function either as a single 3,300-square-foot
space or three separate 1,100-square-foot galleries by the use of
movable display walls. This flexibility allows for the customization
of the gallery space to accommodate exhibits of various sizes and
media. In addition, a gallery dedicated to the display of student
work has also been provided. This gallery will permit students to
display their work in a formal setting for the public and students
from other academic programs on campus.
A 298-seat auditorium has been provided to serve as an academic
lecture hall and to support Herrons community outreach programs
such as its Visiting Artist Lecture Series. This space has been
equipped with the infrastructure to allow use as a distance-learning
classroom in the future. Further supporting Herrons outreach
mission are two multi-purpose studios for community education
programs and Saturday-school classes in drawing, painting and
ceramics for children.
DESIGN INFORM

With the ever-increasing interest in

computer-based art, computer
studios for sophomore, junior and
senior visual communication
programs have been included.
Individually powered workstations
are provided for each student.
These stations are configured in
groups of four to facilitate team
projects
and
collaborative
development of solutions, much
like in a typical design office
environment.
In anticipation of adding a Master of
Fine Arts program as funding
allows, 5,000 square feet of
graduate studio space has been
included in the building. The two,
2,500-square-foot studios have
been left open to permit flexibility in
the arrangement of the space to
accommodate graduate study in
various disciplines.
In addition to the dedicated areas
noted above, several other support
spaces for Herron and University
programs have been provided.
These spaces include an 8,000square-foot library, two dedicated
critique spaces, a photography
shooting studio, computer cluster
and on-site printing resource center.
This resource center not only serves
the needs of the Herron students
and faculty, but also provides
custom printing and plotting
services to the public.
With the completion of Sidney and
Lois Eskenazi Hall, the Herron
School of Art and Design will begin
a new chapter in its history of
providing innovative and excellent
education in the fine arts.
David M. Long AIA was the Project
Manager for this project and is an
Associate Partner at Browning Day
Mullins Dierdorf Architects. The
Project Designer was Jonathan R.
Hess AIA. David and Jonathan can
be reached at 317.635.5030 or
email at dlong@bdmd.com and
jrhess@bdmd.com.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

17

E I T E L J O R G

E X P A N S I O N

D E S I G N

Leads Museum to
New Opportunities
by Maya L. Laurent, Designer Jonathan R. Hess AIA

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is the only
museum in the Midwest with extensive collections of both American Indian
and American Western art. Harrison Eiteljorg, founder of the museum, grew
his collection by traveling all over the country and world to attend exhibitions
and competitions, visit museums devoted to Western art and to patronize
galleries specializing in the American West. He tried to meet as many of the
artists as possible and gave encouragement and financial support to several
young artists. He found joy in the pursuit, discovery and acquisition of
paintings and sculptures of the American West. His vast collection
celebrates the romance of the historic West and the color, excitement and
mystique of the contemporary cowboy and Indian life.

18

DESIGN INFORM

The new exterior spaces will enable the Eiteljorg to

extend its programming outdoors.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

19

Fifty percent more gallery space will be added including two new
3,400-square-foot galleries. The 6,000-square-foot education
center will include two classrooms, a resource center and library,
a technology studio and space for students to eat lunch. A
circular sculpture court will accommodate 300 people for music
and dance performances as well as films, lectures and dinners. A
90-seat caf with a catering kitchen is also included in the
expansion.
This expansion was preceded by construction of an underground
parking facility for approximately 200 automobiles below the front
yard of the museum and the creation of a new entry into the
facility from the parking system. The new entry utilizes similar
architectural forms and materials, providing an elegant
connection to the original museum building complete with a
sound system that begins to orient the visitor to the museum
experience.

Details of the expansion were inspired by the existing

Southwestern pueblo-inspired building.

Since 1989, the Eiteljorgs Southwestern pueblo-inspired building

has been a landmark architectural piece in Indianapolis White
River State Park Cultural District.
Following the success of working with Browning Day Mullins
Dierdorf Architects on the original museum project, the museum
asked BDMD Architects to begin master planning for its future
growth. The master plan that was developed evolved into the
current expansion of the museum with educational spaces as a
driving force behind this expansion.
The latest phase of the Eiteljorgs expansion is the addition
of 43,000 square feet of space comprised of new gallery
space, educational classrooms and a large interior sculpture
court immediately north of the original museum building.

The Eiteljorgs landscape design elements involve three acres of gardens

and terraces leading down to the Historic Central Canal.
20

The underground parking structure provided the challenge of

how to welcome visitors to the museum. Landscape elements
will enable the visitors to feel welcome and drawn into the
museum and its outdoor spaces. The landscape design
elements involve three acres of gardens and terraces leading
down to the White River State Park Central Canal. Plazas to the
east and north of the building will feature a series of gardens and
spaces that will allow the Eiteljorg to extend its programming
outdoors. Among these spaces will be a discovery garden
featuring native plant materials along a curvilinear path and a
large, flexible festival space with permanent in-ground anchors to
permit tenting during special events. Interpretive elements
highlighting Native American culture are designed into the
pavement patterns and plazas. A stair and ramp system located
along the citys proposed cultural trail will provide the first fully
accessible pedestrian entry to the Central Canal, which is 13 feet
lower in elevation. At the canal level, visitors will enter the Eiteljorg
site through a ceremonial gate.
The expansion will be completed in late spring 2005.
Jonathan R. Hess AIA is the Project Designer and Barth D. Hendrickson
ASLA is the Site Landscape Architect. Both can be reached at Browning
Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects at 317-635-5030 or by email at
jrhess@bdmd.com or bhendrickson@bdmd.com.

The Museum expansion includes new gallery space, classrooms, a

resource center and library, technology studio, caf and a circular
sculpture court.
DESIGN INFORM

useums have become spiritual buildings in our

society. They are places to gather, relax, discover and
for many of us to find some aesthetic and spiritual
fulfillment. Lighting is an important component in museum
design it can be thought of as an architectural material, the
bridge that joins architecture and our eyes. Light is the
messenger that communicates to us both the literal and the
figurative. It provides the most basic practical and literal vision of
a museum and at the same time creates the much less
definable sense of space and architecture.
Lighting must help a museum realize the vast range of
environments with attractions that range from paintings and
sculptures but also whales, planets and microcomputer
chips...from the most fragile Indian baskets to whimsical giant
mobiles. Lighting design strategies for museums must
embrace these diverse uses while attending to the primary task
of creating a luminous environment for the seeing of art.
Because museums vary in type, the techniques and solutions
required to illuminate them cover a broad spectrum.

FMSs lighting design of the American Museum of Natural Historys Rose

Center for Earth and Space is a prime example of how lighting can enhance
a museums presence.

Museum Design

The Art
of Lighting
by Charles G. Stone II

Gallery lighting design discussions often center on the

quantity, color and filtration of the light and the harmfulness
of UV radiation. However, a more meaningful approach is to
develop a design strategy that is guided by the architectural
concepts, comprehensive feedback and input from the
museum staff. In this way, the luminous environment will be
designed from the outset to complement the architectural
ideas and help create the environment in which visitors will
view art and experience the spaces. Lighting is not
something that should be "glued onto the architecture." But
rather, it should be integral and enveloping, and it should be
about and intrinsic to the architecture.
Day lighting is almost always incorporated to some degree in
the design of a museum. The dynamic range of color and
capriciousness of daylight must be understood and applied
carefully. The need for a controlled lighting environment for
reasons of conservation, as well as vision and architecture,
makes this one of the more challenging aspects in the
development of a lighting design. The appropriate blending of
daylight and electric light is an important aspect in daylight
design for museums. These are issues that are best discussed
and resolved early in the design process.
The lighting of museums is challenging and rewarding,
especially in the end, when it all fits together in a perfect way that
ought to takes one's breath away. And, although some of us
may not realize it, it is the light that makes us to come back for
more - the light that connects the magnificence of art and of the
architecture. We are very proud of our museum work in
Indianapolis and, especially, of our 20-year collaboration with
BDMD Architects.

The exterior lighting of the Indianapolis Museum of Art

will highlight the architectural elements that make this
structure unique.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

Charles Stone II is Managing/Design Principal at Fisher Marantz Stone in

New York, New York. Charles has worked with Browning Day Mullins
Dierdorf Architects on several museum projects. Charles can be
reached at 212.691.3020 or by email at cstone@fmsp.com.

21

The design of the Childrens Museums retail store is playful and fun drawing
the visitors into the store for purchases.

MUSEUM STORE DESIGN

Enhances Institutions Mission

by Andrew Andoniadis

One of the biggest challenges of museum design involves how to engage the
visitor in museum activity beyond attendance of exhibits. Some institutions take an
approach of providing additional services for their guests to encourage personal
contact with museum staff and enhance the overall museum experience for the
visitor. One such service that adds value to museums of any size and genre is the
museum store.

22

DESIGN INFORM

Museum stores play a substantial role in museum

operation in several ways. Through the store, the
museum visitor has the opportunity to prolong, in
both time and materials, the learning experience
begun in the museum. A wide range of related
products can tie the store directly to the mission of
the museum and enhance continuing education for
the visitor. This meets one of the foremost goals of
every museum. If a patron visits the store before the
museums exhibits and is not surprised by what he
sees in the exhibits, then the store has successfully
selected products that reflect the mission and
content of the institution. The added advantage of
this product-focused approach is that the museum
store is set apart from generic gift shops and gains
the potential of developing into a genuine retail
destination.
Museum visitors often spend more time interacting
with store salespersons than any other museum
personnel. In many instances, these store personnel
become the human face of the museum. In addition,
a visit to the museum store often grants a lasting
impression of the museum and thus takes on added
importance.
In many small and medium sized museums, the store
provides critical revenue for museum programming.
This role as a financial catalyst further supports the
idea that special attention should be spent to design a
well-programmed museum store.
Museum retailing is a combination of art and science.
The art is present in the layout and design of the
store, product selection decisions and the display and
merchandising of products. These are the factors that
most directly affect the visitor. Calculated numbers
gauging the reaction of the visitor to the retail
presence represent the science of museum retailing.
These include financial calculations and the
measurement and evaluation of overall, individual
product and product category sales.

impact. For example, a museum may only want to sell

books, but that decision should be made with the full
realization that it will probably limit revenue potential
and affect overall profitability.
In terms of revenue, books and jewelry are the most
popular product categories. Books are situated at the
heart of a museum store. It is this category that gives
specific and implied seriousness to the entire product
selection. The book selection often signifies the
difference between a museum store and a gift shop.
Mission-related jewelry is also a very popular product
category with a wide range of retail prices that can
generate significant revenue while utilizing minimal
space. Jewelry appeals to buyers of all ages for both
personal and gift purchases.
Other key items include paper products (excluding
books), apparel, childrens products and activity kits
and proprietary products. Different museums will vary
in store offerings depending on their mission, exhibits
and patrons to which they cater.
The museum store can provide positive rewards for
both the museum and its visitors. A good retail
presence enhances the image of the museum and
furthers continuing education while improving visitor
satisfaction and increasing discretionary revenue for
the museum.
Andrew Andoniadis is a retail consultant who has been
specializing in museum stores since 1991. He can be
reached at info@andoniadis.com, through his website:
www.MuseumStoreConsult.com, at 503.629.9279 or at
booth #300 in the AAM exhibit hall in 2005.

A quick review of the layout and design of the store

can be made by evaluating how long the customer
lingers when given time, how quickly the visitor on a
schedule can find products of interest, the quality of
store lighting, the pleasantness of the general
ambiance, the general condition of fixtures and the
efficiency of the checkout process.
While some museum administrators may disagree
with the prominence of a few product categories
below, the museum store customer has voted with
their pocketbooks making these the categories
that best connect with the visitor. Individual
museums can tailor their product selections in any
way but must realize the decisions have financial
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

Andrew Andoniadis was the

retail consultant for the Morton
Arboretum gift shop.

23

Designing an Award
Winning Hall of Fame
by John M. Dierdorf AIA

The history of Indiana Basketball is remembered, celebrated and passed on for visitors to enjoy at this hall of fame.

24

DESIGN INFORM

hat is a Hall of Fame? Is it a sports museum? Is it a display of

photos, awards, trophies, displays or memorabilia? Is it a
collection of accomplishments, records, teams and individual athletes?
Can it allow for the exchange of information or a trip down memory lane?
Does it evoke fond memories of past accomplishments, athletes, games
played, both won or lost? How about hands-on activities? Can you tour
the current facilities or old facilities, touch old sports equipment or listen
to past coaches give a pre-game talk?

Can you relive the old college cheers, sing along with the school
song and high-five with the mascots? Or is it just a dimly lit, dusty
room with old pictures on the wall? There is too much value in
the history of university athletics to keep it filed away. Its time to
revisit the methodologies utilized to revel in the legacy of past
athletic teams.
Every university with athletic programs has a history that needs
to be remembered, celebrated, passed on to future alumni and
supporters and maintained for current sports teams. An initial
inventory and a visioning/discovery session can help determine
the needs and magnitude for the museum or hall. Some
questions to ask as a part of the discovery process are:
Is the current museum providing appropriate exposure and
benefit to the athletic programs?
Are there other ways to reinforce or enhance the current
teams and sports?
Can the university differentiate itself from their peers by a new
approach to the hall of fame/sports museum?

The Ball State University Football Training Centers trophy area provides
fans a connection to the history of past teams and their accomplishments.

Another question to consider is how the technology can

enhance the museum. The electronic age offers options for
recording history and making it interactive for retrieval. This
provides opportunities such as fans finding out what happened
at the school during their birth year or comparing teams of past
years with todays team. This concept could become a revenue
center with creative locations and expanded marketing
opportunities. Through the internet, individuals could enter their
criteria and credit card information and receive, through mail,
their personalized information relative to the historic event(s).
These can become personal memorabilia to be used for gifts,
offices or homes.
In a hall of fame many items need to be physically displayed to
fully appreciate their quality, textures and condition. Unique
approaches are required to properly show off each item. Some
pieces can actually be touched, while other items are too
valuable and fragile to be handled. The items in your hall of fame

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

25

allow multiple types of display, an increased appreciation for

past accomplishments and allow students and fans to fully
embrace the universitys history.
Other methods that provide flexible locations include both
permanent and portable kiosks. Portable displays allow for
customization to a specific event or sport as well as to
develop the athletic history of the campus, promote
upcoming events, sell tickets and assist with recruiting.

Fans can experience the

feeling of walking into a
high school basketball
arena at the Indiana
Basketball Hall of Fame.

need appropriate lighting, descriptive information and precise

identification. Key elements to consider are the design of
casework, allowing proper access, flexibility for display
changing and orientation of the cases.
Other areas can become fully interactive to allow hands-on
participation through virtual reality technologies. These can
include shooting a basketball for the last second winning
shot, experiencing what is it like to be on the football field
with a full stadium or making a goal line dive for a touchdown.
There are many possibilities to consider. Virtual situations can
be created with technology that are highly exciting and allow
the average fan to experience the sport rather than simply
watch. This is a great way to promote a sport and to expand
fan appreciation.

Many of the potential locations mentioned above speak to a

museum that is connected with other facilities. In certain
instances, consideration should be given to a stand-alone
facility. Recognition of major donors, significant athletic
persons or the overall athletic program may be rationale
warranting a separate building. One might suggest that the
kiosk or mobile concept would also fit the stand-alone
concept.
All of these details can help your hall of fame become a fully
functioning marketing machine for your athletic department,
rather than thinking of the past as just statistics and old gear.
While some of these ideas may be too expansive for an
individual school, there are ways to expand current facilities
to bring more benefit to programs at smaller scales.
The traditional trophy case is considered a dinosaur and is
probably costing your athletic program money. The sports
museum or hall of fame should be viewed as a tool to
promote the university, celebrate past accomplishments
and allow the non-athlete to truly experience each sport.
Look to the past as a method to enhance the future of your
sports programs.
John M. Dierdorf AIA has provided design guidance to sports, fitness
and recreational facilities throughout the country. John is a partner at
Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects and can be reached at
317.635.5030 or by email at jdierdorf@bdmd.com.

Fan support also provides options for retailing opportunities

for current sports attire, as well as memorabilia of past teams
or championship seasons, which are highly valued by fans.
The opportunity to personalize a jersey with the fans name is
even in demand. Such items would require manpower to
produce and the location would need to be evaluated for ongoing costs.
Another important factor to consider with your museum/hall
is determining where it should be located and how large of a
space is needed. There are numerous locations that might be
appropriate for a museum, such as at the stadium or arena
concourses, in the student or alumni centers or even in the
recreation center. Other locations to consider are dining halls
or libraries. The identifying goal is to find locations for
maximizing on-campus student exposure and potential offcampus locations. These locations, taken in any combination,
26

At the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame items are physically displayed to

fully appreciate their quality, texture and condition.
DESIGN INFORM

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A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

27

The Center has a long, curvilinear wall that greets visitors and guides
them through the parking area to the main entry.

A small, arced canopy with copper

fascia provides cover at the main entry.

Visitor Center Enhances Historical

Significance at Big Bone Lick State Park
by Stephen A. Hoersten

If one looks through the brown, wooden fences

and past the tobacco fields of northern Kentucky,
they will stumble upon a history that marks the
legacy of one of the worlds premier
paleontological sites. Not far from Interstate 75,
Big Bone Lick State Park in Union, Kentucky is
recognized by the scientific world as the
birthplace
of
American
Vertebrate
Paleontologythe study of prehistoric life
through fossil remains.
The site was first documented in 1739 when a
French soldier discovered the areas fossil
remains. Following a visit from Meriwether
Lewis in 1803, President Jefferson would soon
send William Clark to lead an expedition in 1807.
Today, many museums around the world
showcase the specimens found during Clarks
expedition and those who inevitably followed.
However, few excavated specimens currently
remain at the park in which they were unearthed
nearly 200 years ago.
Established in 1960, the 525-acre park has
traditional amenities, including a small herd of
buffalo. Visitors can also walk along a discovery
trail that features a diorama depicting the demise
28

of early mammals during the Ice Age. Celebrating

the areas history of salt production in the late
1700s and early 1800s, an annual festival
additionally attracts thousands of visitors to the
park during one weekend in the fall. The park also
boasts the distinction of being one of the few
sites east of the Mississippi River on the Lewis
and Clark Heritage Trail.
In August 2001, the Department of Parks for the
Commonwealth of Kentucky began to develop the
master plan for a museum and welcome center at
Big Bone Lick State Park. To develop the master
plan, the department selected the design team of
Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects
(architecture and landscape architecture); GRW
Engineers, Inc. (structural, electrical and
mechanical engineering) and Hall-Harmon
Engineers (civil engineering).
The master plan incorporated programming that
had been established in a previously
commissioned interpretive master plan, including
additional items developed during the process.
Under the budget allocated by the legislature of
the Commonwealth, the master plan outlined
Phase One for the museum and welcome center.
DESIGN INFORM

The exterior palette of materials was chosen to represent the

countryside that visitors view while traveling to the park.

Totaling approximately 20,000 square feet, the

program establishes office space for staff
members housed in the maintenance area, a
new gift shop and its related support space,
curatorial space, educational program space,
an orientation theater, exhibit space and other
necessary support facilities. The site also
includes 160 parking spaces, including a small
portion allowing bus access.
In addition to the new development, the master plan
had to incorporate a series of previously completed
improvements on the site. The pre-existing
improvements included a trailhead at the start of the
Discovery Trail, a proposed amphitheater already
graded on the site and the Ice Age diorama. Sloping
greatly across the site, the areas topography only
offered a small, flat portion of land, which was being
used for existing parking and access to the gift shop
and exhibits.
Phase Ones final plan included 970 square feet of
administrative area, 945 square feet of retail space,
1,225 square feet of exhibit space and support
spaceall within a 4,392 square foot facility. The large
exhibit space includes built-in display cases and a new
exhibit case for the museums prized specimen - a sixfoot long mastodon skull.
The building has a long, curvilinear wall that greets
visitors and guides them through the parking area to
the main entry. The building is nested in the hillside
to reduce its size when one is approaching the
entrance. Native paintings also adorn the wall to
help the building blend into the surroundings. Placed
A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

in relationship to the existing trailhead, the building

also serves as a backdrop for the diorama. Windows
in the back of the building allow staff and visitors to
view the diorama from the gift shop and office areas.
To parallel northern Kentuckys environment, the
exterior palette of materials was chosen to
represent the countryside that visitors view while
traveling to the park. Responding to the areas
many tobacco farms and typical wood fencing,
horizontal wood siding was stained a dark,
tobacco barn black-brown, including a copper
fascia. Locally quarried limestone, also used on
local residences and site walls, comprises the
wall at the main entrance. In addition to producing
a locally authentic look, the materials also do not
visually detract from the natural beauty of the
surrounding park.
The Department of Parks took possession of their
new facility in July 2004. With a great amount of
celebration and fanfare on November 18, 2004,
supporters of the park and museum dedicated the
Welcome Center/Museum Phase Onewhile at the
same time greatly anticipating the completion of their
dream in Phase Two.
Stephen A. Hoersten is a Project Manager at Browning Day
Mullins Dierdorf Architects. The Principal-in-Charge and
Project Designer for Big Bone Lick State Park was Jonathan
R. Hess AIA. Stephen and Jonathan can be reached at
317.635.5030 or email at shoersten@bdmd.com and
jrhess@bdmd.com.

29

The Childrens Museums caf area provides visiting schools and patrons with an area to enjoy foods from the kitchen and sack lunches they may bring.

Cultural Institutions Discover Added

Facility Rental Income
by Arthur M. Manask

Even the most prestigious institutions are discovering

considerable untapped net income from renting their facilities to
outside groups. Yes, just about everybody rents out facilities, in
almost every case providing food and beverage catering. But
many, if not most, institutions are seeing merely a fraction of the
potential income.
Catering is normally handled one of several ways. In most cases,
a list of preferred or approved caterers are used in institutions,
with some cases taking on an exclusive caterer that provides all
food and beverage services. Another option involves an open
policy whereby any caterer that meets certain minimum
institution criteria (certificate of insurance, pay a fee, etc.) can
provide the service.
The following case study looks at the profitable results of
instituting an Approved Caterer Program.

30

Case Study: Improved RFP Process Grows Net Income 250%

in Five Years
This museum has a facility which has become a very popular
venue for outside groups and organizations to stage events. In
1997, this museum conducted both a comprehensive
evaluation of its special event department and a review of its
preferred caterer program, with the goal of optimizing earned
income by shortening the list of caterers.
The museum had 16 catering companies, each paying a $600
flat fee, on its preferred list. Other similar institutions in this city
had not tried this short list approach and there was concern that
a short list might reduce net income because fewer caterers
could bring business (clients) to the museum. Museum
management believed in the concept and conducted a Request
for Proposal (RFP) process with the goal to shrink the caterer list

DESIGN INFORM

www.wilsonart.com

The food service area enables the Childrens Museum to

have additional income revenue.

in half. As part of the RFP process each

caterer was required to do several
things. Examples included providing
annual donations, hosting public
relations events and guaranteeing
museum minimum dollar amounts.
The result of this RFP process enabled
the museum to select a total of eight
caterers representing a true crosssection of menu variety, pricing, quality
and other factors allowing any internal
(museum department) or external client
to find a caterer in the list that met the
clients needs and budget. In 2003,
after a three-year period, this process
was again followed to reduce 1caterer
list down to five or six caterers.
Why did this museums net income
grow with this Approved Caterer
Program? Following are some of the
key reasons:
As part of the RFP selection process,
the museum looked carefully at
which caterers brought clients to the
museum versus those that served
merely as names on the list.
A review of historical catering activity
at the museum indicated that less
than six caterers hosted 80%+ of
the events in any category (as is true
with most cultural institutions).
The caterers offered a minimum
annual dollar commission which
meant they had to be fundamental in
bringing business to the museum,
instead of relying on the museum for
referrals.

A Publication of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects

By concentrating 100% of the

catering revenues with fewer
caterers, this made for a more
profitable short list, thus enabling the
museum to receive more net dollars
in return.
Motivated caterers with excellent
sales organizations increased the
institutions facility rental income as
well as their own commissions.
Competition provided the museum
discounts on internal catering and
outright donations that were not
received before.
The caterers are contributing to a
marketing/advertising fund; dollars
the museum did not have in its
budget before this program was put
in place.
Arthur Manask is President and CEO of
Arthur M. Manask & Associates in Burbank,
California. Arthur has worked with Browning
Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects on a variety
of museum projects. Arthur can be reached
at 818.557.0635 or by email at
artm@manask.com.

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31

Architecture
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