The Influence of Shifting Media Displays on Visitor Circulation Patterns and Acoustic Environment

Many exhibition spaces, such as museums, galleries, theme parks, and exhibitions, use audio-visual devices to enhance the presentation of their collections. These devices include display monitors and speakers that supplement the artifacts or content on display. The audio-visual devices can attract more visitors, but they also change visitor movement pattern and increase the ambient noise levels. How does this affect the design and experience of exhibition spaces with audio-visual elements compared to those without them? This research sought to examine the variations in visitor circulation patterns and acoustic environments across 16 museums and public exhibition spaces. The methodologies employed included photographic recording, sketches, and observational techniques for analyzing circulation patterns, alongside simple single-point acoustic measurements to assess background noise levels. The findings revealed that exhibition spaces incorporating audio-visual elements typically feature longer and more linear circulation paths to accommodate a greater number of visitors, as well as elevated background noise levels compared to spaces without such elements. This study offers valuable insights for the design of exhibition-type buildings, particularly those integrating audio-visual devices, which are anticipated to become increasingly prevalent in the future. Keywords: exhibition hall, audio-visual, circulation, background noise levels