Queens Museum: Central Atrium for All

Queens Museum: Central Atrium for All is a 2-year design-research project funded by a $250,000 grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services, conducted from 2020-2022 by JSA/MIXdesign, a New York-based architectural studio specializing in inclusive design, in collaboration with the Queens Museum and Queens Community House.

This report documents not only the end-product of this research, but also the story of implementing a participatory design process to generate design recommendations that can be adapted by a wide range of institutions to make their buildings more accessible and welcoming for diverse audiences across age, culture, disability, gender, race, and religion. The project treats the Queens Museum as a generalizable case study that can be adapted by other museums to improve the entry sequences of their buildings.

The project used a range of engagement tools informed by best practices in public health – literature reviews, surveys, interviews, site assessment tours, public programs, and professional development trainings – to solicit experience-based knowledge from stakeholders and visitors. Central to the project was the recruitment of an “Access Cohort” composed of 27 Queens residents who were paid to identify access barriers and co-create inclusive design solutions throughout the course of the project.