CONCEPT
The Open Space Museum (OSM) is a modular, portable exhibition platform designed to foster public engagement through robust Case Study Elements—space-frame structures—paired with mobile web applications that provide interaction, interpretation, and learning experiences.
The project explores new ways of presenting artistic and cultural content in public space. By combining lightweight architectural structures with digital interaction tools, the Open Space Museum creates accessible environments where visitors can encounter artworks, cultural narratives, and research-based content in open and informal settings.
Short Version
The Open Space Museum (OSM) is a modular and portable exhibition platform designed to foster public engagement through interactive and accessible cultural experiences.
It offers a tranquil yet dynamic environment for artistic interaction and reflection and can operate in collaboration with museums, cultural institutions, artists, and researchers as an extension of cultural programming in public space.
Central to its design are robust Case Study Elements—space-frame structures that form the architectural basis for presenting artworks and cultural narratives—paired with mobile web applications that provide interaction and learning experiences and extend the encounter beyond the physical installation.
Middle Version
The Open Space Museum (OSM) is a modular and portable exhibition platform created to foster public engagement through interactive and accessible cultural experiences. It provides a tranquil yet dynamic environment for artistic interaction, reflection, and dialogue, creating a versatile space where cultural exchange can take place within everyday urban environments.
Through collaborations with museums, artists, researchers, and cultural organizations, the OSM functions as a flexible cultural platform capable of hosting diverse forms of artistic and cultural content. The system allows institutions to extend their reach beyond traditional exhibition spaces and engage audiences in open public contexts.
At the core of the Open Space Museum are robust Case Study Elements—space-frame structures that serve as the architectural foundation for presenting artworks and shaping the visitor experience. Each element is paired with a mobile web application that provides interpretation, interaction, and learning opportunities, encouraging exploration, participation, and personal discovery.
Full Version
The Open Space Museum (OSM) is a modular and portable exhibition platform designed to bring artistic, cultural, and research-based content into public space. The project creates an accessible environment for artistic interaction and reflection while offering a flexible setting where cultural exchange and public engagement can occur outside traditional museum architecture.
Unlike conventional museums, the Open Space Museum is not restricted by traditional opening hours or architectural constraints. It allows cultural institutions, artists, and research initiatives to present cultural narratives and artworks in public locations, reaching audiences who may not normally encounter museum exhibitions.
Through collaboration with museums, artists, and cultural organizations, the Open Space Museum functions as an adaptable cultural platform capable of hosting diverse exhibitions and cultural programs. Its modular structure allows installations to be configured in multiple ways, creating opportunities for cross-institutional collaborations and innovative exhibition formats.
A central component of the Open Space Museum is the use of Case Study Elements. These robust space-frame structures serve as architectural modules that host artworks, cultural objects, and digital media installations. They provide visitors with an interactive platform where artistic expression and cultural narratives can be explored in both physical and digital forms.
Each Case Study Element is paired with a mobile web-based interaction system. These applications function as a digital layer that complements the physical installation, offering interpretation, multimedia content, and interactive experiences accessible through personal mobile devices.
These engagement applications encourage exploration, learning, and participation while supporting the Open Space Museum’s broader goal of creating meaningful encounters between audiences, artworks, and cultural knowledge.
Acknowledgment:
The Open Space Museum was conceptualized and designed by Arthur Clay in collaboration with Dario Lanfranconi and Chiara Gemma Fedon at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (HSLU).
The project is currently developed and managed as an independent cultural initiative by Virtuale Switzerland.
Its structural logic draws inspiration from modular construction principles explored by Gerrit Rietveld and Ken Isaacs, as well as the open-source XYZ Spaceframe system by N55 (Till Wolfer & Ion Sørvin). While these systems informed aspects of the design philosophy, the structural and conceptual design of the Open Space Museum was independently developed.
The XYZ Spaceframe system by N55 is shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License (CC BY-SA 3.0), supporting open design, reuse, and collaborative innovation.
© Arthur Clay