Rem Koolhaas, the Hermitage and the Design of Innovative Experiences

On the way to celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2014, the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg (formerly the Winter Palace of the Russian czars) hired legendary architect Rem Koolhaas to modernize the art museum experience for visitors in a way that both respects the storied history of the Hermitage and also positions the museum as a leader of 21st century innovation. As part of the reconsideration of the museum’s structure and function, Koolhaas is operating under a very rigid ground rule: no new structure will be put

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up, nor will any part of the existing architecture be modified.

In many ways, this task is no different than the one faced by managers and executives at businesses around the world. So what can we learn from Koolhaas and the Hermitage? In an interview with Tim Griffin of Artforum, Koolhaas outlines several rules to follow in the design of a truly innovative experience…

Continue reading Rem Koolhaas, the Hermitage and the Design of Innovative Experiences on the OnInnovation Blog.