interior’s view
Creative Entrepreneurship Challenge-Benaki’s Project
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 (Danai Lyratzi, Christos Daniilidis,Charis Zarbalas,Frossini Drakouli)and I paid a visit to Benaki Museum in Pireos 138.The main challenge is to find ways to provide a bigger income to the giftshop and cafe.In this way it could be created a new trend in Athens that will approach a bigger audience group and will contributes to the museum’s expenses.
Well, wishing to find innovative ideas to highlight the area, we asked the opinion of a specialist on the area of interior design(Fani D.)due to approach better the museum’s advantages and disadvantages and to act accordingly.Having help from her, we would find if the cafe and the gift shop it could be exploited somehow, if and how it can become more attractive, whether it is already perfect and why it is perfect or if it could be improved..(not of course with an entire renovation).
So first of all, starting from the gift shop, one of the basic premises which interested us , the interior designer claims that the space of the gift shop featured introspective but not with negative connotations. She maintains neutral character geared to accept and embrace the objects for sale-the art projects. As she emphasizes, in that way the gift shop has succeeded to hush up as space in order to highlight the projects and mainstream artists. We are interested at this function and we expected for that service. It maintains a museum type character and manages to give us a sense of an exhibition with art projects, selected with great caution. With regard to the area of the shop ,well, by the mild tones of white, balanced with the structures and volumes and the overall neutrality prevailing,succeeds flawlessly the purpose of viewing the exhibits.
Fani,the interior designer who help us ,concludes that there is a sophisticated movement in space (aisle)which is the follow-up from the gift shop at the cafe using the white pendant lights.Is a nice way to let us steer to entrance to the venue of the sale and next to the restaurant. In contrast with the art shop we weren’t sure about the cafe’s nature-character. Is a beautiful place with lovely plants that adds density but remains “empty”, however and this perhaps may be the main problem.. It lacks “experience”. The setting up of space is cool though operating. Lacks comfort and warmth.
Maybe it could gain more clear identity and warmth with the use of some exhibits at the restaurant ,part of several museum exhibitions. This in order to excite the audience and cause feelings associated with the same feeling they had when it was located in the exhibition area of the Museum. (This and other ideas have been discussed from the group in a meeting for the development of cafe and store- Read https://medium.com/cultural-and-creative-entrepreneurship/team-meeting-and-brainstorming-dac81e85f8d2#.wddnj7uku )
Of course the Atrium within the building is a most wonderful architectural concept and contributes to the public’s contact with the movement abroad piece of the Museum. “It is wonderful way of decompression” Fani claims.
So after all this analysis of the centre of the Museum ,we will try to find possible ways in order to realize our innovative ideas always driven by structure of these two areas.
- The team- Charis Zarbalas, Frossini Drakouli, Danai Lyratzi, Martha Davari, Christos Daniilidis
- Our coordinator- Lida Tsene
