The Power of Architectural models in Museums

The Power of Architectural models in Museums

The architectural models in contemporary museums are recognized as essential elements in exhibitions. However, most of them are treated as one of many exhibition technique for the effective exhibition. This article argues that the architectural models in museums are not merely assist device of exhibition but have power to affect audience and museum environment as active subjects. For the types of architectural models in museums, there are architectural scale models to study architecture, doll houses as personal collections, and dioramas in historical and anthropological museums. Each model can wield the power to transfer knowledge, remind the personal memory, and preserve history when displayed in museums out of its original context. First, architectural models can exert power to instill knowledge in that scale models and doll houses of historic buildings are displayed in museums to transfer the historic information to the audience. Second, the power to preserve memory can also be found in the type of doll houses that remind the personal memory of childhood and eventually develop the collective nostalgia of the society. In addition, the architectural models to represent powerful buildings can be regarded as symbolic icons to have the potent power of the original buildings. Last, the power to recall the original context of historical and anthropological objects can be found in the models of the type of diorama when they are displayed together with such objects. However, the close relationship among the audience, collectors, and other objects are crucial for the architectural models in museums to exert power to instill knowledge, preserve memory and history, signify, and remind the original context of objects displayed together. Therefore, architectural models can have power when they relate to other subjects in the context of museums.