With China’s first design museum still on its way, we introduced China’s first children’s design museum: the Kids Museum of Glass. This educational design space, a former industrial workshop, is marked by kaleidoscopic patterns, natural materials and contrasting sleek blackened glass surfaces. Street inspired materials such as simple plywood and sterling board give the space an edgy, playful and welcoming feel. The Kids Museum of Glass is the newest addition to the ever-growing G+ Park, one of Shanghai’s trendsetting creative hubs.
The exhibition is built up as a ‘glass city’, consisting of different units that are themed with easy to grasp city analogies, such as ‘The Beach’, ‘The Circus’ and ‘The Factory’. Children are confronted with snack-sized information while playing with different glass-themed installations. The museum experience is intuition-based and invites children to explore the topic of glass independently. Easy to use multi-media installations tempt children to touch and play: simple actions and gestures allow them to discover for example how lightning can create glass, how a glass prism works or what smart glass is. In between playing and learning, children can relax and watch a film in the integrated Fire Theater or Up-Cycling Theater. Creative kids can practice their sketching skills by drawing an art piece on the spot in one of the ‘Draw Me’ installations.
In the exhibition, cross-links are made with two other functions in the space: the DIY Workshop and the Gift Shop. Visitors are alerted to the fact that they can try activities and buy objects that they see in the space. The DIY Workshop and Gift Shop – set on the first floor of the space – offer a wide range of children-specific workshops as well as the museum’s own line of children’s products. Additionally, the Kids Museum of Glass has a dedicated Party Space, where plenary introductions to larger school groups, private birthday parties or brand events focused on families can be held. In two integrated Cafés, visitors can recharge or take a rest while visiting.
Sustainability and well-being were carefully considered as factors in the design process. The colorful museum space is a reused building, that has special air filters to guarantee clean and healthy air during playtime. All materials within the space are chosen with a sustainable outlook, to ensure a better tomorrow for the young visitors that engage with the space.
A playground, an art space, a second classroom and an event venue: altogether, the Kids Museum of Glass is a multifunctional and exciting new experience, which aims to become the new cultural destination for families with children in Shanghai and beyond.
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