During a design meeting between the architects Herzog & de Meuron and the reps of Tate Modern, the designers of the new gallery found themselves cornered by a client who insisted on a more prominent position for their retail shop. The architects inevitably fought and lost. Today as head down to Level 1 of the Tate Modern, the escalator provides a clear view of the inviting shop below and you are almost thrust into it as you land on the floor below.
These retail outlets provide a much sought-after means of generating revenue for under-funded galleries, museums and institutions that it is no surprise that they are crucial for their survival. Besides shopping is everywhere, as Rem Koolhaas concluded “the phenomenon of shopping has swallowed the world, making museums and malls and hotels all part of a single chaotic whole.”
I for one, love musesum shops. In fact, they’re probably one of the places where I truly enjoy spending time in at most museums. Following, say hours of, obeying strict rules, signs and being constantly kept an eye on by bored and overeager security guards, the sheer joy of being let loose in the (almost) uncontrolled environment is thrilling. Being able to actually touch and handle something in a museum is fantastic. If fact, not just touch, but to sniff and lick.
In terms of actual merchandise, museum shops don’t just sell the usual riff-raff, they generally sell things they feel are special, quirky, and well designed. Often, the stock in the shops change as often as the exhibitions whilst continuously reflecting and taking advantage of the interest that certain events/exhibitions might have generated. And of course, the retail outlets allow for the rest of the museum will never do - to own and actually take home a piece
