Rethinking Pendleton

Rhode Island school of Design, Advanced Studio, Fall 2023


Integrating momentary pause into Pendleton House in response to its multiple narratives and diverse entrances.

Material : Rhino 3D, Enscape, Illustrator, Photoshop
Type : Spatial design



RISD Museum
Different Entrance,
Different Narratives
Lack of Transition zone


Pendleton House features three distinct entrances, each connecting to different parts of the RISD Museum. As a result, visitors entering Pendleton House have varied experiences and narratives depending on the exhibition they viewed prior. This intervention provides a momentary pause between the preceding exhibitions and the one within Pendleton House, allowing visitors to pause, refresh their perspectives, and transition into the upcoming exhibition within Pendleton House. 



Floor Plan


Upon entering into Pendleton House, visitors are welcomed by the concept of a third space which accommodate various activities, such as social gatherings, reading, and relaxation, regardless of the entrance utilized. This space invites visitors to take a momentary break and offers glimpses of what lies ahead in the Pendleton House exhibition. Serving as a transitional zone, guiding visitors into the upcoming display while allowing them to refresh and rejuvenate during their museum journey.



Geometry   


  
Circulation
Third Space -> Exhibition Space -> Third Space



       




Geometry Study



Third Space




Exhibition Space






Exhibition Strategy

Euro American


Non-Euro American

The new structure integrated into the existing architecture serves not only as a place for rest but also as a place for underrepresented art pieces to have a voice. The prior collection in Pendleton House primarily showcased Euro-American arts, aligning with the Euro-American house style architecture elements, resulting in non-Euro-American arts being underrepresented and lacking equal contextualization. To address this imbalance, the new structure incorporates new walls at various heights, covering specific portions of the original features of Pendleton House. Euro-American arts find their place on lower covered walls, preserving more of the original structure while non-Euro-American arts are placed on full-height new walls, providing them with a distinctive voice without being overshadowed by the existing Euro-American context. This intervention aims to foster an inclusive and diverse narrative within the museum, addressing previous controversies surrounding the representation and contextualization within Pendleton House.


Sequence