Contextual approaches in contemporary museum design: OMM as a case study

A museum's architectural, cultural, social, and economic significance for a city or any location makes its design especially important. In general, museum design is required to establish meaningful relationship with the context in both physical and cultural mediums local culture, history and environment are considered key factors in museum design. It is believed that the museum design reflects the environment, history and culture of that region. The architect thoroughly consider how museum buildings function in a variety of settings and ways since the goal of the museum is reinterpreted in the architectural language of space. Museum designs of architects from different cultures are influenced by various contexts and factors. These include historical, environmental and cultural elements. The architects take into account the cultural heritage and identity of the society in which the museum is located. Architects from a different culture can bring elements of their own heritage into the design and at the same time try to blend in with the local context. The interaction between these contextual factors, together with the architect's own cultural perspective, results in museum designs. Museums in regions with different cultural and historical backgrounds designed by designers from different backgrounds, are in scope of this study. The thesis though examining the OMM design, aims to discuss contemporary museum architecture in the medium of cultural context, in order to understand how architecture and context relations and consciousness are formed, conceived, observed. It examines how designers from different backgrounds in perceive a region's cultural and historical contexts, tries to evaluate museum design and the context that shapes the OMM museum. Key Words: OMM, Contextual Architecture, Museum Design, Context, Exhibition Space, Museum