Ten inaugural exhibitions and installations, at the new Smithsonian Design Museum, many of which draw from the museum’s permanent collection of more than 210,000 objects that span 30 centuries, will feature more than 700 objects throughout four floors of the mansion. For the first time in the museum’s history, the entire second floor will be dedicated to showcasing the permanent collection through a variety of exhibitions.
Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, Following a three year restoration project the museum is finally reopened Friday on December 12, 2014.
Along with the permanent collection, which includes everything from 18th century Chinese birdcages to Milton Glaser’s iconic, psychedelic Bob Dylan poster, the museum has created pit stops to give guests a closer look into how designers actually work. This is where the new Cooper Hewitt shines: It’s a museum meant for play.
The "Making Design" exhibition. This gallery of collisions is perhaps an extension of the first floor’s new Process Lab, an accelerated training ground where one is meant to learn how to think like a designer and try out a few schemes and materials on a hands-on lighting display. The lab is pretty clearly an attempt to appeal to younger audiences, but it’s also a good way to help visitors — especially those unfamiliar with design — comprehend the museum’s impossibly wide-ranging collection.
Where.- 2 East 91st Street, New York NY 10128. USA.
