E V E N T R E C A P

Reimagining Public Space

with a Smithsonian Museum

June, 2024

Partner: National Museum of American History (NMAH)

Location: NMAH // MLK Library

Facilitators:

Background

Mike Denison, the Head of Design at National Museum of American History, came to us with a challenge: How might we reimagine the back entrance of the museum? While it had some interesting features, it was a glorified drop-off spot for cars to pass through. The entrance bore no connection to the contents of the museum, was devoid of human activity, and contributed nothing to the museum experience. Mike believed that the entrance could be more, but didn't know how.

Karen Hold, the director of DT:DC, brought Fabiola Yurcisin and me together. Fabiola, an urban planner, suggested a Placemaking framework called the Great Places Framework and we built this workshop around it.

1. Tour of the National Museum of American History

The workshop started with a tour of the museum, guided by Mike Denison. The tour spanned the founding of the nation, the civil rights movement, and the role of entertainment in American society. Mike pointed out a number of important features to help the group experience the museum and understand what made it special.

2. Exploring the Museum Entrance

We then split the attendees into four groups, each group corresponding to one of the four areas of focus of the Great Places Framework (i.e. quadrant):

Access & Linkages
Comfort & Image
Uses & Activities
Sociability

Each group then explored the museum entrance we were seeking to reimagine. Using a worksheet, each group assessed the museum entrance along various facets of their quadrant.

Finally, each group discussed their observations and decided on one facet of the experience that held the biggest opportunity. This was where they would focus their creativity. The four groups explored how to make the museum entrance more:

Connected
Charming
Active
Friendly

Takeaways

There is so much potential when reimagining a space. Having a framework brings focus and rigor to observation and imagination.

3. Brainstorming Ideas

Now that each group knew where to focus, Evan led them through two brainstorming activities:

Crazy 8's
Reverse Brainstorming

Each attendee identified their best ideas and created a concept poster for each to communicate it with their group.

Through 3 rounds of dot voting, each group identified 1 idea to take forward.

4. Rapid Prototyping

Using construction paper, pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, tape, and scissors, each group brought their idea to life through constructing a rapid prototype of it.

Fabiola had built a model of the museum entrance, so we instructed groups to build their prototypes to the scale of the model.

Takeaways:

Building with physical materials forces us to articulate our ideas with clarity. As a result, the ideas often morph and connect, becoming even more interesting and compelling than before!

5. Share Out

The stage was set. Each team presented their idea, putting their prototype on the model of the museum entrance. As each group presented, we could physically see the museum entrance reimagined with various aspects of the experience in mind.

Fabiola closed the session by reiterating a core concept of Placemaking: the Power of 10. All great public places should offer at least ten different things to do or reasons to be there. By laying each group's idea on the model, we could physically see multiple uses layered on top of the space. It was a profound takeaway!

Mike was blown away by the breadth, diversity, and audacity of the ideas. He was excited to share them to his team and explore how to bring many of them to life.

Takeaway

The layering of each group's prototype on the model provided a crystal-clear visual, both of each individual idea and collectively how the ideas complemented one another. Seeing each idea in context made a vivid impression on all of us. It was a special moment and an incredible culmination to the event!

Some of the ideas:

An amphitheater to bring more activity and purpose to the museum entrance

An African-American art piece with breakdancing performance to make the entrance more connected to its neighbor, the Museum of African American History

A seating area that mirrors a key exhibit in the museum, the Greensboro Lunch Counter, making the entrance more connected with the exhibits inside the museum

Signs and a poster that covers the entire front wall, featuring beloved characters and famous figures, making the entrance more friendly and charming

Stickers on the sidewalk inspired by exhibits inside the museum, making the entrance more charming and connected to the museum

Shaded seating and activities, like a maze, on the lawn next to the entrance, making the entrance more active

I have found the outcomes helpful. As we continue to ideate about how best to activate the exterior of the building for the 250th commemoration in 2026, the breadth, diversity, and, in some cases, audacity of the suggestions has helped open my team's thinking about both what is possible and what would be impactful. Being so immersed in the museum environment, it was helpful to get a fresh burst of outside perspectives.

-Mike Denison