Narratives and Post-Ιndustrial Design

Code: ΕΡ 343

Semester: 3

ECTS: 6

Course Instructor: Elisavet Kiourtsoglou

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course offers an introduction to the fundamental principles and practices of exhibition design. Its aim is to help students understand how space functions not merely as a container, but as an active medium of narration, experience, and communication. Through short theoretical inputs, case study analyses, and, most importantly, hands-on design exercises, the course explores issues such as spatial sequencing and storytelling, strategies for the display of objects and media, the role of light and sound in shaping atmosphere, as well as the visitor’s journey and experience within the exhibition space.

The course is organized around weekly small-scale group exercises that encourage experimentation with different aspects of exhibition design. Collaboration is a central component of the studio: students are invited to work in groups, share ideas, and co-develop proposals. The semester culminates in the production of a complete group design proposal for a small exhibition space, based on a theme selected by the students themselves.

By combining theoretical knowledge with practical experimentation, the course fosters critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork. No prior experience in architectural design is required; what is expected is active participation, consistency, and a willingness to engage in creative exploration.

SUGGESTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Kalli Tzortzi, Space in the Museum: Architecture Meets Museology, Athens: Piraeus Cultural Foundation, 2013.
• Lena Stefanou-Katsanika, Museographic Images. Designing Museum Exhibitions, Athens: Psychogios, 2022.
• Esther Solomon, “Museums as ‘Objects’: Seeking Approaches” in Eleana Yalouri (ed.), Material Culture. Anthropology in the Land of Things, Athens: Alexandria, 2012 [2017], pp. 75–124.
• Pallasmaa Juhanni, The eyes of the skin. Architecture and the Senses, Crete University Press, 2022.