Students
design new museum
UCE Birmingham Institute of Art and Design - Interior design students fast-track their careers
Students from the University of Central England in Birmingham
have been commissioned to design the new Jaguar Daimler Heritage
Museum in Coventry as a Live Project to form part of their MA
Interior Design.
Using new, post-optimal techniques to generate a new museum
experience for Jaguar, the MA students from UCE Birmingham
Institute of Art and Design (BIAD) were tasked with designing
the new exhibition space. They formed part of a larger project
team which drew on the skills and talents of established
companies from across the country, with Birmingham-based
architects Associated Architects commissioned to design the
exterior structure and London-based Imagination developing the
general marketing concept.
On Friday 30 March the students took their concept and ideas to
the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust (JDHT) and presented to
various directors involved in the project. The presentation
involved not only aiding the directors to visualise the
exhibition space itself, but also the new museum experience
developed by the students. This included the ability to pre-plan
and organise a visit before arriving at the museum using online
resources, the post-optimal demeanour by which exhibits and
information are delivered, and a further continuation of the
experience once a user left the space.
Subsequent to the presentation the directors of the JDHT have
now requested that the proposal is taken forward to the
trustees, so that this can inform and push forward the
discussion of the new museum development.
Additionally, the entire student team were very much
complimented on the creativeness of their design and ability to
visualise a totally new experience, along with their
professionalism in delivering such a high-end design concept. It
is aimed that the project will now be exhibited at Design City,
to be held at the NEC in January 2008.
Dr Paul Bailey, course director for MA Interior Design, is
pleased that the talents of students have been recognised. He
said: “To be chosen for such a high profile project while still
studying is an amazing achievement for these students. For a
company with a profile like Jaguar to commission students is
recognition of the abilities that these students have and the
standard of work that is being produced has been on the same
level as the established companies.”
The joint venture between UCE Birmingham and the JDHT has been a
successful partnership for both parties. John Maries, Executive
Director of the JDHT said: "Over the next two years, the JDHT
has many exciting opportunities in front of it, to develop its
Museum activities. As an educational charity the JDHT is
delighted that we are able to join students from UCE Birmingham,
who will be demonstrating their creativity in how we might
display our cars and artefacts."
Email:
kate.granger@uce.ac.uk