Building and exhibition layout: Sainsbury Wing compared with Castelvecchio

It has always been thought that there are two dimensions in museum experience: the experience of space which can be distinguished from that of exhibits, as the former is largely non-discursive while the latter is more in the discursive domain. This paper aims to contribute to the description and understanding of the intricate pattern of interdependencies between the two parameters of the microstructure of the gallery space, the design of space and of the display layout. The paper uses rigorous methods of ‘spatial data’ collection and analysis (analytic representations of spatial relationships, and systematic representations of the movement pattern) and on this objective foundation builds an interpretative and critical argument

From Exhibits to Spatial Culture: An Exploration of Performing Arts Collections in Museums

In recent years, museums have have increasingly explored a style of display that emphasises the visitors’ multisensory experience of exhibits, as much as their cognitive understanding. At the same time, there has been growing acknowledgement of the significance of the intangible aspects of heritage as dimensions to be understood and nurtured. Against this background, the display of exhibits related to performing arts and the presentations of their ephemeral and intangible aspects in museums become particularly intriguing. This paper seeks to explore the different ways in which performing arts collections are displayed, and how they are affected by, and affect, the spatial and architectural properties of the museum settings. Using the space syntax analysis of space types in association with the framework from the Francophone museological literature of the exhibition as a medium, and of the exhibition space as a ‘synthetic space’ (espace synthétique), we will analyse six museum settings that have clear spatial and architectural intentions with respect to performing arts collections. Their comparative analysis will bring to the surface intriguing common tendencies which relate both to the organisation of the display and to the nature of the spaces in which it is realised. These commonalities, it is suggested, can be thought of as outlining a generic spatial culture through which it is possible to create, in the museum, dimensions of the circumstances in which performances are realised, transmitting some of the living richness of their experience

Rethinking Museum Space: Interaction Between Spatial Layout Design and Digital Sensory Environments

Over the past decade, there has been a growing awareness of architectural and spatial design in the functioning of museums and the creation of distinctive visitor experiences. This issue has itself become more complex as digital technologies offer new potentials to mediate between museum content and visitors, and in particular technologies which have the capacity to amplify senses and facilitate interactive, whole body, immersive and sensorial experience. The paper will explore for the first time the role of spatial layout in the sensory environments created through digital media in museums. Among the key questions raised are: how are they integrated into the museum itinerary spatially and conceptually? In what kind of spaces are they installed and how do they relate to them? Are they arranged so as to exploit key spatial properties? We investigate these questions initially through the identification and review of existing experimental projects, and then through the in-depth study of examples of the museum work of two well-established creative studios which combine architecture and interaction: Jason Bruges Studio and United Visual Artists. The analysis is based, on the one hand, on interviews with the designers involved in their creation and, on the other, on syntactic concepts and techniques. By looking in parallel at the work of the two studios, from their first installations until now, and through syntactic analysis, we unravel the way these projects become integrated in the museum, both in literal terms (spatial positioning) and in metaphorical (curatorial practice). The analysis shows that as these works become with time more symbolic, they also become less intrinsically spatial and their experience less dependent on movement. More interestingly, it brings to surface aspects of the design of digital sensory environments which have a relation of correspondence with syntactic properties, such as integration, and types of space. Having shown that space plays a key but variable role, the paper ends by proposing a model for the spatial understanding of these novel technology-mediated experiences and for rethinking museum space

Passive Exposure To E-cigarette Emissions: Immediate Respiratory Effects

INTRODUCTION The present work examined the effect of passive exposure to electronic-cigarette (e-cigarette) emissions on respiratory mechanics and exhaled inflammatory biomarkers. METHODS A cross-over experimental study was conducted with 40 healthy nonsmokers, 18-35 years old with normal physical examination and spirometry, with body mass index < 30 kg/m(2), who were exposed to e-cigarette emissions produced by a smoker, according to a standardized protocol based on two resistance settings, 0.5 ohm and 1.5 ohm, for e-cigarette use. All participants underwent a 30-minute control (no emissions) and two experimental sessions (0.5 and 1.5 ohm exposure) in a 35 m(3) room. The following Impulse Oscillometry (IOS) parameters were measured at pre and post sessions: impedance, resistance, reactance, resonant frequency (fres), frequency dependence of resistance (fdr=R5-R20), reactance area (AX), and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). Differences between pre and post measurements were compared using t-tests and Wilcoxon signed rank tests, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for comparisons between experimental sessions (registered under ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03102684). RESULTS IOS and FeNO parameters showed no significant changes during the control session. For IOS during the 1.5 ohm exposure session, fres increased significantly from 11.38 Hz at baseline to 12.16 Hz post exposure (p=0.047). FeNO decreased significantly from 24.16 ppb at baseline to 22.35 ppb post exposure in the 0.5 ohm session (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS A 30-minute passive exposure to e-cigarette emissions revealed immediate alterations in respiratory mechanics and exhaled biomarkers, expressed as increased fres and reduced FeNO

Analysis of visitors’ mobility patterns through random walk in the Louvre Museum

This paper proposes a random walk model to analyze visitors' mobility patterns in a large museum. Visitors' available time makes their visiting styles different, resulting in dissimilarity in the order and number of visited places and in path sequence length. We analyze all this by comparing a simulation model and observed data, which provide us the strength of the visitors' mobility patterns. The obtained results indicate that shorter stay-type visitors exhibit stronger patterns than those with the longer stay-type, confirming that the former are more selective than the latter in terms of their visitation type.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, 4 table

Secondhand smoke exposure in outdoor children’s playgrounds in 11 European countries

Introduction: Tobacco presence in outdoor children's playgrounds is concerning not only because it leads to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, but also cigarette butt pollution and tobacco normalization. Objectives: This study aimed to assess SHS exposure in children's playgrounds, according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free regulations, national smoking prevalence, and SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds (2017-2018). Methods: We monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentration and tobacco-related variables in 20 different playgrounds in 11 European countries (n = 220 measurements) from March 2017 to April 2018. Playgrounds were selected according to area-level SES. Data on the number of people smoking, and cigarette butts inside the playground and on playground surroundings (<1 m away) were recorded. Playground smoking bans, the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) score, national smoking prevalence and SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds were used to group countries. To determine nicotine presence, we dichotomized concentrations using the limit of quantification as a cut-off point (0.06 μg/m3). Nicotine median concentrations were compared using non-parametric tests, and nicotine presence and tobacco-related observational variables using the Chi-squared test. Results: Airborne nicotine presence was found in 40.6% of the playgrounds. Median nicotine concentration was <0.06 μg/m3 (Interquartile range: <0.06-0.125) and higher median concentrations were found in more deprived neighborhoods, non-regulated playgrounds, in countries with lower overall TCS scores, higher national smoking prevalence and higher SHS exposure prevalence in playgrounds. Overall, people were smoking in 19.6% of the playgrounds. More than half of playgrounds had cigarette butts visible inside (56.6%) and in the immediate vicinity (74.4%). Presence of butts inside playgrounds was higher in sites from a low area-level SES, in countries with low TCS scores, and greater smoking prevalence and SHS exposure prevalence (p<0.05). Conclusions: There is evidence of SHS exposure in children's playgrounds across Europe. These findings confirm the need for smoking bans in playgrounds and better enforcement in those countries with smoking bans in playgrounds

Secondhand smoke exposure assessment in outdoor hospitality venues across 11 European countries

Objective: Due to partial or poorly enforced restrictions secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) is still present in outdoor hospitality venues in many European countries. This study aimed to assess SHS concentrations in outdoor hospitality venues across Europe and identify contextual exposure determinants. Methods: Cross-sectional study. We measured airborne nicotine and evidence of tobacco use in terraces of bars, cafeterias, and pubs from 11 European countries in 2017-2018. Sites were selected considering area-level socioeconomic indicators and half were visited during nighttime. We noted the smell of smoke, presence of smokers, cigarette butts, ashtrays, and number of physical covers. Contextual determinants included national smoke-free policies for the hospitality sector, the Tobacco Control Scale score (2016), and the national smoking prevalence (2017-2018). We computed medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) of nicotine concentrations and used multivariate analyses to characterize the exposure determinants. Results: Nicotine was present in 93.6% of the 220 sites explored. Overall concentrations were 0.85 (IQR:0.30-3.74) μg/m3 and increased during nighttime (1.45 IQR:0.65-4.79 μg/m3), in enclosed venues (2.97 IQR:0.80-5.80 μg/m3), in venues with more than two smokers (2.79 IQR:1.03-6.30 μg/m3), in venues in countries with total indoor smoking bans (1.20 IQR:0.47-4.85 μg/m3), and in venues in countries with higher smoking prevalence (1.32 IQR:0.49-5.34 μg/m3). In multivariate analyses, nicotine concentrations were also positively associated with the observed number of cigarette butts. In venues with more than two smokers, SHS levels did not significantly vary with the venues' degree of enclosure. Conclusions: Our results suggest that current restrictions in outdoor hospitality venues across Europe have a limited protective effect and justify the adoption of total smoking bans in outdoor areas of hospitality venues

Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Other Signs of Tobacco Consumption at Outdoor Entrances of Primary Schools in Eleven European Countries

Introduction: Although smoking restrictions at child-related settings are progressively being adopted, school out-door entrances are neglected in most smoke-free policies across Europe. Objectives:To describe secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and tobacco-related signs in outdoor entrances of primary schools in Europe according to area-level socioeconomic status (SES), smoke-free policy, national smoking prevalence, and geographical region. Methods:In this cross-sectional study we monitored vapor-phase nicotine concentrations at 220 school outdoor entrances in 11 European countries (March 2017–October 2018). To account for nicotine presence, we used the laboratory\u27s limit of quantification of 0.06μg/m3as point threshold. We also recorded the presence of smell of smoke, people smoking, cigarette butts, and ashtrays. Half of the schools were in deprived areas. We grouped countries according to their Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) score, smoking prevalence (2017–2018), and United Na-tions M49 geographical region. Results:There were detectable levels of nicotine in 45.9% of the outdoor entrances, in 29.1% smell of smoke, in43.2% people smoking, in 75.0% discarded butts, and in 14.6% ashtrays. Median nicotine concentration was below the laboratory\u27s limit of quantificationb0.06μg/m3(Interquartile range:b0.06–0.119). We found higher SHS levels in countries with lower TCS scores, higher national smoking prevalence, and in the Southern and East-ern European regions. People smoking were more common in schools from lower area-level SES and in countries with lower TCS scores (pb0.05). Conclusions: Smoking at school outdoor entrances is a source of SHS exposure in Europe. These findings support the extension of smoking bans with a clear perimeter to the outdoor entrances of schools

The Anthropocene monument:on relating geological and human time

In the Parthenon frieze, the time of mortals and the time of gods seem to merge. Dipesh Chakrabarty has argued that with the advent of the Anthropocene the times of human history and of the Earth are similarly coming together. Are humans entering the ‘monumental time’ of the Earth, to stand alongside the Olympian gods of the other geological forces? In this paper I first look at the cultural shifts leading to the modern idea of separate human and Earth histories. I examine the changing use of monuments to mediate between human and other temporalities. I explore the use of ‘stratigraphic sections’ as natural monuments to mark transitions between the major time units of Earth history, and the erection of intentional monuments nearby. I suggest that the Anthropocene, as a geological epoch-in-the-making, may challenge the whole system of monumental semiotics used to stabilise our way of thinking about deep time