Creative Entrepreneurship Challenge
In the course of our Creative Entrepreneurship Challenge -in which we are called to provide our help with ideas in a real-life problem situation of a cultural organization- my team and I paid a visit to Benaki Museum in Pireos 138.
The Benaki Museum ranks among the major institutions that have enriched the material assets of the Greek state. It is also the oldest museum in Greece operating as a Foundation under Private Law. Through its extensive collections that cover several different cultural fields and its more general range of activities serving more than one social need, the Benaki Museum is perhaps the sole instance of a complex structure within the broader network of museum foundations in Greece.
The new building of the Benaki institution is located at 138 Pireos Street, one of the central development axes of Athens. The existing building, which is organised around a central courtyard, is already being refurbished, thanks to co-funding by the Ministry of Culture and the European Union.The new building covers a total area of 8,200 m2 with underground areas of 2,800 m2 and an internal courtyard of 850 m2. The exhibition halls span 3,000 m2. There is an amphitheatre capable of seating 300, as well as areas to house the Museum services.
There we met with Liana Tsobanoglou, who is the head of Pieros Street Annexe and also the head of the events department and also with Nicoletta Menti, the communication manager of the Museum.
After a short discussion, we became aware of the Museum’s strengths and weaknesses.
It’s biggest asset, is the architectural renovation. The general principles of the design were based on the idea of an inward-facing building with openings towards the central courtyard. Movement through the exhibition halls is designed to take place around the perimeter of the courtyard, in such a way as to ensure maximum visibility for the visitor and flexibility in the utilisation of space. The atrium/courtyard area, a basic feature of the activities taking place there, can host outdoor exhibitions, musical events and performances. The bookshop and restaurant open onto the courtyard at the ground level.
The spatial organisation and the style of the building aim to create a place where a short simple visit will not suffice. Thus the building will operate throughout the day, offering visitors comfortable conditions for their visit and an opportunity to attend alternative events, or just to have a cup of coffee.
Also the Museum has a very strong media present with it being on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
On the other hand the main problem is that it lacks identity. Benaki Institution consists of seven buildings speard out in Athens, the one in Pireos , being the newest one finds it difficult to create a connection with the brand.
In addition, for a museum that size to be operated there are a lot of expenses. In order to cover those the bookstore/shop and the restaurant must provide a bigger income. Their vision is to create a new stumping ground in Athen’s city life -a trend- that will approach a bigger audience group and will change the way people think of the Museum.
Taking all that under consideration our next step will be a joint research, to see and evaluate what kind of visitors does the Museum have, the age gap that we need to fill and a brainstorming session with all of our group members in order to come up with innovative ideas on how to make the museum more appealing to a younger audience and the cafeteria more profitable.
-The team- Charis Zarbalas, Frossini Drakouli, Danai Lyratzi, Martha Davari, Christos Daniilidis
-Our coordinator- Lida Tsene
