| dc.description.abstract | There is an urgent need in Kenya for a national art
gallery. A public art gallery that can cater for works
of art (especially fine art) produced locally. Such a
gallery could also be a place for periodic exhibitions of
art work. Currently art work is exhibited in small art
galleries in and outside Nairobi. These private galleries
are not only too small but most of them were not originally
designed as art galleries.
The project is aimed at an art gallery that would provide
an intellectual atmosphere in which an artist finds
enrichment for his own work and ideas and in which the
public can assimilate the artistic culture required by
the mind of the modern man. This cultural institution will
have an auditorium (lecture hall). library, school of art
and n small restaurant.
The museum of art in this project was conceived as an
institution which performs the following functions:-
collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting cultural
objects of our environment. The mission of which is twofold,
the 'advancement and diffusion of knowledge, and
enhancement of that awareness which affords pleasure and
delight'.
This thesis project belongs to a much neglected field here in
Kenya and very little work has been done from an architectural
point of view, leave alone lack of documented information - so
the exercise must be considered as exploratory work. It is
rather my personal interpretation in response to the needs of
a national art gallery based in Nairobi ~ one of the many
possible ways a gallery could be. The thesis is dealt in three
main parts.
Part I. Attempts to analyse the needs and the role as well as
the technical problems associated with galleries. Identification
of the basic design determinants is also tackled in a
conceptual manner.
Part II. Involves the application of the design paramenters in
form of Environment, services, construction, materials,
landscaping, townscape etc. Priorities are given to
circulation, flexibility and sighting. Site planning is also
involved. This part is where synthesis is done.
Part III. Is mainly about evaluation. An appraisal as concerns
form as well as building performance - as relates to structure,
technology, environmental control, services as well as
aesthetics.
In conclusion the design envolved, though not a prototype, is an
would be quite symphathetic one. Symphathetic atmosphere was
one of the objective of this projects from outside the building
is a piece of art. Inside art takes over.
This thesis project belongs to a much neglected field here in
Kenya and very little work has been done from an architectural
point of view, leave alone lack of documented information - so
the exercise must be considered as exploratory work. It is
rather my personal interpretation in response to the needs of
a national art gallery based in Nairobi- one of the many
possible ways a gallery could be. The thesis is dealt in three
main parts.
Part I. Attempts to analyse the needs and the role as well as
the technical problems associated with galleries. Identification
of the basic design determinants is also tackled in a
conceptual manner.
Part II. Involves the application of the design paramenters in
form of Environment, services, construction, materials,
landscaping, townscape etc. Priorities are given to
circulation, flexibility and sighting. Site planning is also
involved. This part is where synthesis is done.
Part III. Is mainly about evaluation. An appraisal as concerns
form as well as building performance - as relates to structure,
technology, environmental control, services as well as
aesthetics.
In conclusion the design envolved, though not a prototype, is and
would be quite symphathetic one. Symphathetic atmosphere was
one of the objective of this project$ From outside the building
is a piece of art. Inside art takes over. | en |
