Original Designs for Furniture and Signage

Tables, chairs, and other furniture in warm tones are arranged throughout the Jiyu Area*, including the large space of the Grand Gallery and the covered portico (colonnade). With our museum message – “The Port Is Open” – and our goal of actualizing diversity as the core, the original furniture incorporates inclusive design with the aim of creating an art museum where all people can enjoy themselves comfortably.

The new furniture and signage are designed by architect Inui Kumiko and graphic designer Kikuchi Atsuki. During the period the museum was closed for a major renovation over approximately three years, we held a two-day inclusivity workshop. Over twenty people from diverse backgrounds participated, including individuals who are visually impaired (blind/low vision), hearing impaired, intellectually disabled, wheelchair users (manual/motorized), cane users, the elderly, and parents and children. Here we introduce some of the furniture completed in response to these productive dialogues.

Note:

* The Japanese word jiyu in “Jiyu Area” means “freedom,” “as you like” or “without restrictions.” In other words, the Jiyu Area is a free area, centered mainly around the Grand Gallery, which welcomes everyone and aims to be a place for people of all kinds.

Tables and Chairs that Can be Used as You Wish

The tables and chairs are round and cornerless, providing tactile and visual gentleness for all kinds of people, including the elderly, children, and people with disabilities. A variety of materials are used, including cypress strand board, metal plates, and fabric.

The tables come in three sizes (small, medium and large), with only the medium size available in two heights. The chairs come in 10 different sizes, shapes, and materials. A total of 11 key colors are assigned to each of them: five pinkish colors inspired by colors in the building’s granite, three metallic colors, and two colors for the fabric, creating an atmosphere of diversity but also a gently unified feeling.

The medium-sized raised table is taller than a standard table, allowing visitors in wheelchairs with a larger base, such as an electric wheelchair, to get closer with plenty of room for their legs to fit directly under the tabletop.

Chairs are either upholstered with fabric and cushioning or made of the same material as the table. Large chairs can also serve as tables, with luggage and drinks placed next to them. Rounded shapes with no corners pose less danger and also allow for sitting close together or at a distance.

Chairs with handles on either side or one side are also available. One of the most common requests from cane users during the inclusivity workshop was the need for a place to hold onto when standing up from a chair. The handle on one side doubles as a backrest.

Reception Counter Ready to Welcome Everyone

The reception counter is composed of platforms of various colors inspired by the building’s granite. There are platforms of different heights, and the lower platform has space for  wheelchair users to wheel in closer with their legs able to fit under the counter. A step in front of the higher platform is provided for temporary placement of hand luggage. There is also a non-slip sheet for placing walking canes.

Stands that Make It Easy for Anyone to Pick Up a Flyer

The stand for flyers filled with information on exhibitions was designed with a sloping tray to make it easy for wheelchair users and people with hand disabilities to pick up the flyers. This shape was adopted in response to comments at the inclusivity workshop that people in wheelchairs and others face difficulty in picking up flyers when they are placed vertically, and many find it difficult to pick up flyers when they are laid flat. Boards can be inserted into the grooves, and flyers can be attached to the vertical surface.

Also, when the flyer tray is removed, it can serve a flat display stand, or can be used as a display stand by placing a transparent, acrylic case on top.

Shelves Defining Spaces for Relaxation

The large staircase of the Grand Gallery has several areas where visitors can relax freely, with shelves and cushions to give a homey feel. The shelves are lined with a variety of books, some of which are related to our exhibitions. After viewing an exhibition, visitors can relax and enjoy the art afterglow in this open space.

Additionally, at the staircase near the entrance, is a spot with shoe boxes and bookshelves containing children’s picture books, where visitors with younger children can kick off their shoes together and take a leisurely break.

Coin Lockers Designed for Easier Use by Visitors in Wheelchairs

There are four coin-operated lockers in the museum for visitors to store their belongings. At each location, priority lockers marked with a wheelchair symbol are placed at a height that is especially easy for visitors in wheelchairs to use. The lockers in the Grand Gallery can also accommodate large luggage. The color scheme of shades of pink harmonized with granite gives a soft impression for welcoming visitors to the Museum.

Safe and Versatile Signs

Movable signboards, which can be set up for a variety of situations from exhibitions to events, are available in three different sizes, and the panels can be freely replaced. The legs are also designed to be thin, stable, and sturdy, preventing them from becoming an obstacle or getting caught up with the white canes used by the visually impaired, wheelchair tires, or the feet of children and the elderly.

This furniture was created with input from various parties, and can accommodate a wide variety of visitors without requiring any particular adjustments for continued daily use. By changing the combination and arrangement of the furniture, a variety of styles of spaces can be created.

The original furniture created for this renewal offers a new way of being in sync with the times, expanding the possible uses for all visitors and museum staff as well. The concept of “no fixed purpose” for blank spaces (or yohaku), which Tange Kenzo, architect of the Yokohama Museum of Art, so valued, is in harmony with the new furniture, making for open and welcoming spaces. When visiting the Yokohama Museum of Art, we hope everyone will feel free to use them as they see fit – we hope that the diversity of visitors will lead to the invention of new combinations and uses beyond those we originally intended!

Photo: OHNO Ryusuke