Wayfinding process analysis using space syntax in the Museum of Contemporary Art

Establishing appropriate moving circulation in various spaces of art galleries is one of the most important indicators considered especially in the design of such spaces. The importance of this issue is the optimal operation of such spaces and is largely dependent on the proper functioning of this sector. Achieving optimal routing solutions in the interior spaces is one of the factors that increases the space readability. The need to address this issue goes back to this problem of the cultural uses, such as museums and galleries; the indicators related to the space readability are not seriously addressed by the designer. This causes the reduced space efficiency and sometimes subtly reduced space satisfaction. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the routing process in the interior spaces of the galleries as well as to explain the principles and elements of space cognition required to facilitate routing in such spaces. In order to achieve this, first the theoretical framework to explain the optimal routing factors in the galleries was identified. These factors were categorized on the qualitative and quantitative scales leading to qualitative and quantitative approaches towards examining the case. In the quantitative approach, the space cognition elements including the route cognition indicating the power to analyze the data in detail beside the power of predictability prior to the design implementation. The qualitative elements as the indicators of the environmental information were explained by objective observations. The results show that in order to create the appropriate routing in the interior space of the galleries, the space should be examined both in terms of the spatial cognition elements and environmental information elements. Regarding the uses such as art galleries, the increase of the readability, spatial cognition and cognitive maps along with the route encourages the person to continue and causes a pleasant feeling of satisfaction along the way for him. Thus, in spaces with complex mapping which need the use of routing elements in terms of the space cognition indicators, creating such invoices in the way of the visitors helps to improve the routing operation. In fact, these types of elements reduce the complexity of the space on the one hand, and on the other hand, express respect for the visitors by helping them to have easy and appropriate access to various spots in the environment. In other words, generally, the routing elements help to "organize the human behavior" in the environment. Moreover, about how the information and data can be organized in a way to optimize the routing process, it can be said that in the present study, first, the space cognition elements ( (syntactic indicators) were explained through which the key spots in the space were introduced and examined. Therefore, in the current study, the architectural elements used to evaluate the environmental information were introduced each of which were placed based on the space cognition indicators. Therefore, the space cognition elements must be compatible and in corporation with the other elements of the galleries besides including the space cognition features.Keywords: Wayfinding, Art galleries, Space exploration, Space syntax, Environment information