Museum of Rituals
Theme:
I have developed a particular interest in how capitalism determines different aspects of personal lives and perceptions. Capitalism and consumer culture are closely intertwined, as the capitalist economic system relies on consumer demand to drive economic growth and profitability, while consumer culture is characterised by the consumption of goods and services as a means of self-expression. When we talk about consumer culture, we are really talking about a culture. It is a culture that was able to supply the masses with basic necessities in the developed world. Simultaneously, its downside is that it can only satisfy basic needs, while reflecting on psychological needs, it encourages redundant material consumption beyond what is necessary, creating a kind of pseudo-satisfaction which is ineffective. A typical example of this is how modern rituals, like Christmas or weddings, are focused around consumption, however, they would provide room for working on individual and common emotional needs.
Approach:
To investigate the issue, I conducted a historical overview of the wedding industry, highlighting how the industry has reflected cultural norms and stimulated consumption. It was fascinating and terrific to see how products, such as a diamond ring or white dress, or services, such as travelling, have become a symbol and an integral part of the ritual. In consumerism, people’s primary strategy for meeting psychological needs is consumption. But satisfying these needs with the same strategy we satisfied the basic needs in the first world is ineffective. But on the other hand, rituals are reinforced and deep-rooted. Traditions as the connection with the past are determining rituals. Therefore, it is not easy to form them as part of the common culture, while in an individual’s life, rituals are much more flexible, more resilient and work like a tangible tool to look at ourselves. As a therapeutic tool, it can help us design our own lives, process our traumas, determine our connection to others, understand our culture and ourselves.
If we learned to observe our rituals, we could be more aware of our lives. And awareness is a skill. If we develop it against something, it affects other aspects of our lives. If we are more aware in rituals, we can use this skill to understand our relationships, decisions, social role and politics. We can learn to see whether and how a political and economic system serves and does not serve our happiness.
Research:
Desk research on rituals, flow experience, and museum experience; site surveying for the interior design part
Result:
The Museum of Ritual Life is an attempt to respond to the above-mentioned phenomenon with civic design and interior design tools. The museum also reflects on the theme in its function and aesthetics. The museum, on this scale, as a function, is a space with national significance, which would draw society's attention to the importance of rituals and the room for self-reflection inherent in them. The concept of the exhibition was created in a way to present the rituals of contemporary everyday people as a collection of examples for human relationships and life situations.
By focusing on their own experiences at workshops, visitors can receive a kind of personalised coaching experience, which helps them to approach their rituals in a creative and understanding way, inspired by the exhibition. With lectures, they can expand their knowledge and deepen their understanding related to the exhibition. Visiting the museum is a hybrid offline-online audio-visual experience, as the exhibition displays stories relating to statues depicting everyday situations. Visitors can listen to the stories on their phones via an application, so later online access can be provided to the exhibition itself, as well as the lectures.
Regarding the physical elements of design, the special location, which is a railway tunnel under Glasgow, has significance. The museum is designed into an almost 1-kilometre-long section of this tunnel. An inconspicuous but meaningful entertainment facility beneath the surface is a metaphor for our psychological needs and rituals defining ourselves.
As an underground place, the limited visibility that the entrances provide makes the decisions on the entrances even more critical. These are the primary communication channels about the identity of the place. The façade has neo-brutalist features to aim to radiate strength, stability, and durability, as this is an initiative with national significance. Moreover, a museum is a kind of sanctuary of civilization. The peel-off design element with some modification appears on both entrances, suiting the interior spaces they provide entries to.
The exhibition area has sensory deprivation helping immersion into the exhibited stories, and this is reflected by the entrance of this part as well. In contrast to this, the station is all about social interaction, breathing, presence, feeling, and perception. It is where the workshops take place. The open plan layout provides transparency, letting light into every room and corner. The rooms on each site are balancing between isolation and connection, privacy, and publicness. The entrances from the ground reflect this human-centred and open attitude by the statue and the glass façade.
The most dramatic design element of the museum is the old ventilation windows transformed into water features for the Botanic Garden on the ground which could enrich the experience of park visitors with an extra scenic picnic place. But at the same time, those are the glass ceiling providing unique light play within the interior.
