Walls That Remember: architecture that serves collections and people

Why this session?

Museum architecture should protect collections and make people feel welcome across seasons and abilities. This session brings the building brief back to those daily responsibilities.

In today's global context

Heat, energy costs and changing visitor expectations are reshaping cultural buildings everywhere. Design decisions made before tendering can determine decades of care.

Ten questions to explore

1. What must a museum brief say before design begins?
2. How can passive design protect fragile collections?
3. Which spaces welcome people without a ticket?
4. How should conservation access shape circulation?
5. Where do accessibility decisions begin?
6. How can local materials reduce maintenance burdens?
7. What is the right scale for a regional museum?
8. How should buildings allow future reconfiguration?
9. Which climate risks belong in the design baseline?
10. Who signs off on operational practicality?

Key outcomes we hope to shape

• A pre-design brief shared by architects and operators
• A set of climate and access questions for commissioning

We welcome nominations from museum architects, facilities leaders, conservators and accessibility practitioners and others with relevant experience. Speaker nominations are open.