The Riverside Museum, iPhone and Facebook
July 8th, 2011 § Leave a Comment
Aya writes about spending her summer holidays in Scotland…
There is a lot to do in Scottish Summer, especially Glasgow and Edinburgh getting all busy and buzzing with tourists. While seasonal festivals are not-to-miss, it’s not a bad idea to squeeze this new venue in between your schedule. Formerly known as the Museum of Transport, Riverside Museum, Glasgow stands proudly on the side of River Clyde. I visited there on one Sunday afternoon.
Bicycles on the mid-air track in the Riverside Museum
Once you enter, a nice spacious hall welcomes you with steam trains, old public trams and glamorous vehicles. What is unique about it is that these classy vehicles from old times are not just sitting on the floor looking grumpy like they do in traditional museums, here they all look vigorously revived: cars riding on the upward belt along the curved wall and bicycles are displayed around the cycle-racing track in the mid-air.
The whole building is structured in the way that would overcome visitors’ expectation: there is no left and right but it seems that the museum is stretching itself into various directions. And I loved it. I don’t really like following those arrows telling you where to go next. Instead, I went to see a collection of boats and had a close look into the engine room of a steam train and more in the order I like.
Big touch panel type information boards which look exactly like a massive iPhone made me feel that museums are evolving. I couldn’t help thinking I might want to sign into my Facebook account on that thing. Museums used to be a quiet place for quiet people but with all the participatory experience and a human-size iPhone, I hope it will be more active and lively with visitors from all generations.
