(English is below.)
過去的幾十年，建立博物館的現象在全球各地蓬勃發展，尤其各國家指標性城市紛紛新建或擴建新星級的博物館建築，儼然博物館成為城市重要的標誌。不僅如此，博物館建築對於城市公民生活與文化認同，以及帶動城市發展與旅遊業所帶來的經濟增長，扮演至關重要的角色。儘管近年全球經濟受不同的危機而有所影響，卻不減博物館的擴張，以及與博物館相關的全球藝術品市場仍舊盛行的跡象。
該篇文章刊登於典藏今藝術&投資 2020/10月號 337期 https://bit.ly/4v9hHA8
回溯台灣美術館史，臺北市立美術館自1983年成立至今三十多個年頭，也見證歷代場館的改革，以及台灣藝術的演變。然而，如今面臨多樣的藝術創作及建築體的老舊，不僅展覽空間、典藏庫房功能，建築體與市民生活的連結等，都面臨與時俱進的挑戰。
因此，緣起於2014年市政府白皮書「文化夢工場——興建新美術館」，自2018年起，包含臺北市立美術館擴建案的臺北藝術園區正式啟動，希冀透過擴建改善既有館舍營運上的困難，並實踐於台北這座城市深根藝文的目標。歷經多場擴建案說明會、招標計畫，於2019年底，美術館擴建地區的環評案通過後，為汲取國內外美術館新建、擴建的經驗，在疫情的當下，今年於八、九月舉辦共四場跨國連線的「地平線之外：美術館擴建系列講座」，分別邀請現任東京都現代美術館（Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo）館長長谷川祐子（Yuko Hasegawa），於金澤21世紀美術館（21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa）籌備至營運期間擔任首席策展人、現任法國國立博物館聯盟－大皇宮（Réunion des musées nationaux－Grand Palais，簡稱Rmn-GP）主席的克里斯．德肯（Chris Dercon），現任大阪國立美術館（National Museum of Art, Osaka）館長山梨俊夫（Toshio Yamanashi），與芭芭拉．史坦納（Barbara Steiner）分享其參與的奧地利格拉茲美術館（Kunsthaus Graz）、德國萊比錫當代美術館（Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst，簡稱GfZK）為例。各場講座除了就21世紀美術館的空間運用、硬體環境，探究美術館在不同歷史背景下其社會功能所扮演的角色，尤其與人事物的「串連」成為貫穿幾場講座的主軸。此外，也針對面對（後）疫情時代下未來美術館各面向思考進行分享。因此，本篇文章除了梳理幾場講座之分享外，將藉由歷史角度觀看全球博物館新建／擴建如何串連人事物，省視在疫情時代美術館所可能面臨的新挑戰。
國家／城市發展與指標性的博物館建築
現代國家的民族認同往往取決於共同的文化，而文化認同的關鍵是傳承獨特的文化傳統、遺產與習俗。遺產涵蓋不同形式，如語言、儀式、飲食、服飾等，也能體現在獨特的歷史文物與藝術創作中。而這些存放於博物館中的物件，編織成歷史變遷的敘事內容。長谷川祐子分享博物館的設計建造需反映其使命與認同、欲具備之功能、文化角色、環境串連與預期經濟效益等面向。回顧博物館與公共建設的關係，幾個世紀以來，公共博物館的歷史與國家建設的發展難以分割，因博物館建設對於公民營造能夠產生一種公共的認同感，也成為身份識別的特殊機構。
綜觀歷史，許多國家因過往的殖民歷史，在建設過程為凸顯在地的文化認同與遺產的獨特性，博物館成為鼓勵脫離殖民框架、展現文化與歷史連貫性，並產生國民身份力量的重要國家計畫之一。這樣的歷史脈絡也促使博物館在全球迅速擴張的現象。無論是在舊有的文化遺產上重新整頓使用或擴建美術館，這波區域性的遺產復興，強調地方的民族特徵與文化發展，透過遺產來達到全球化的平衡。其中著名案例如位於海灣國家的巴林，透過博物館在現代阿拉伯身份的辯論中展現全球化遺產。在這些案例中，傳統透過展覽或活動得以體現，博物館成為強調國家與全球認同的工具。
此外，擴建計畫中造型新穎且具未來感的新星建築體（Star Architecture），也是這波博物館擴張主義的特徵之一。特殊的建築本體與嶄新的展覽空間，形塑出新的博物館形象與美術館地位。強烈的博物館建築視覺，不僅帶動城市形象，更為各產業帶來商機，在當代成為城市發展的顯學。2003年在歐洲文化之都的計畫（European Capital of Culture）中，一座建築外觀彷彿生物外星人般的格拉茲美術館顯眼地聳立於奧地利格拉茲（Graz）。這座於1999年被列為聯合國教科文組織（UNESCO）世界遺產的古城中，除了迷人的古老建物外，新穎建築散佈於城市各處，反映了城市作為尖端設計、建築與技術中心的地位。
格拉茲美術館設址於這座城市相較以貧窮、移民與紅燈區為主的默爾河西岸（Mur River）。當初在設計規劃時，有意透過美術館的建置與藝術發展復興環境，回應美術館另一個稱呼「友善的外星人」（Friendly Alien）。據芭芭拉．史坦納分享，美術館長年透過與在地串連的展覽與活動，重塑這座城市的文化氣息、地方經濟與人民生活。她提到，雖然建設初期約莫有九成民眾反對，但建築創新性不僅成為格拉茲的標誌性圖像，且吸引許多畫廊、飯店、咖啡廳等設立，為在地經濟復興起到重要作用，逐漸獲得民眾支持。
台北作為一座古城，雖與格拉茲古城歷史脈絡不盡相同，但也是座新舊交融的城市，還有許多尚未挖掘、發現的遺跡。現今臺北市立美術館場館位置不僅鄰近圓山遺址、臨濟護國禪寺等，且位處日治時期發展重點的中山北路旁側，如何與環境共融、回應北台灣史的擴建計畫，建造適應當代且串連過去的建築設計，是一重要課題。
博物館回應藝術樣態與連結在地
如前所述，博物館致力於保護遺產和集體記憶，而近期也被重新思考作為城市發展和創新的戰略資源，成為博物館在擴張計畫擬定時的重要考量。山梨俊夫提及美術館多樣藝術樣態與地方脈絡的關係，以梳理大阪現今藝術機構為例，由大阪市政府主導地方獨立行政法人系統，整合多家美術館與博物館設施機構，而鄰近大阪國立國際美術館的大阪中之島美術館是其中之一，也與國立大阪美術館建立合作關係、交流館藏，發展不同的企劃內容開創新氣象，共同活化位址所在的中之島區域。
博物館建築從創造力經濟學的角度設計，以吸引社會大眾的興趣，且更被重新思考為致力於知識生產和傳播的創造力場所。當代博物館作為典藏、展覽與教育推廣的場域，需要適應不同的藝術作品收藏與展示樣態，並回應周邊環境。金澤21世紀美術館建造於古城之中，因此長谷川祐子提到，在建築設計規劃時期，計畫團隊重新省視在地社會脈絡與藝術創作的關係，思考如何在新的場館讓新與舊共存，希冀創造新的文化並重振城市榮景。
為打破二十世紀美術館建造概念——男性主導（Man）、金錢（Money）與物質主義（Materialism），翻轉資本主義與權力的世代，回應在地與亞洲價值的內涵，長谷川祐子指出，二十一世紀強調提升意識（consciousness）、集體智慧（Collective Intelligence）與和平共存（Co-existence）的目標，更著重於女性主義的概念發展美術館計畫。歷經近十年的規劃，透過多場前導討論會、大量建築模型模擬等，探究典藏空間設計與展覽規劃，在多方嘗試中梳理出一座新型態的美術館，並連結在地脈絡——有機且靈活運用的實踐計畫。
社會引擎：身體與博物館實體的互動關係
當代博物館已發展成為向公眾開放的「複合型態的文化空間」，博物館除提供收藏、保存和展覽基本功能外，也是處為遊客友好、文化和教育的空間，同時也是創造與生產的場所。因此，博物館作為教育與研究傳播文化的公共空間，持續不斷地在建築設計上嘗試「體驗經濟」的概念。
德肯以劇場作為案例思考美術館空間，提到觀眾的身體與藝術展覽皆為一種實體（entity），並指出美術館是提供觀眾學習、工作、溝通交流互動，並容納多元類型的有機公共空間。因此，在討論美術館建築設計時，需思考如何重新組織並為社群服務，讓觀眾在互動中扮演重要角色。
這也回應自一九七○年代博物館扭轉過去權威與緊縮政策，透過發展具有文化與社會意義的公共教育空間，提升社會大眾藝術近用的可能性，使更多人有機會進入博物館與藝術創作，縮短距離。而當代博物館作為社會教育的場域逐漸重要，也反映各社群的新需求。
依循德肯所提及之「身體」作為實體單元及美術館作為社會教育空間的概念，二○○○年由舊發電站（The Tanks）改建的泰特美術館，其挑高的建築本體與入口渦輪大廳的空間設計，充分展現當代博物館所強調的公共性。每位觀眾的身體、藝術品的實體與建築本身，能在其中互動並尋找其需求；館內亦設置許多桌椅與不同類型的集合空間，鼓勵個體之間的交流互動。
而二○一六年因應大量觀展人潮進行的擴建計畫——Switch House，以不規則幾何建築與靈活空間運用，使展覽空間增加約六成，得以展示更多典藏品並探索當代藝術領域的多元計畫，如攝影、電影、表演等。高彈性的博物館空間亦促進多元觀眾服務的發展。
金澤二十一世紀美術館的圓柱體建物與環狀寬廊設計，提供觀眾高度自由參與的公共環境；透明玻璃圍繞的建築本體，使可視性與穿透性串連內外空間，不僅創造新的美感體驗，也使美術館與城市景觀融為一體。同時，為達到藝術近用（Accessibility）的目標，館內亦鑲嵌不同類型的藝術創作，例如阿根廷藝術家林德羅．厄利什（Leandro Erlich）的作品《泳池》（The Swimming Pool），邀請觀眾探索美術館的另一面向，並與建築產生新的互動關係。
「當代美術館建築作為實體的藝術創作，須提供新穎的角色、實驗性的表達方式與價值觀，同時與社會大眾分享並聆聽回饋。因此，融合情感與智慧的規劃相當重要，才能串連城市、地方與觀眾。」
後疫情時代的挑戰：藝術資訊近用與未來有機新關係
當代博物館已成為反映社會背景的城市地標，以及藝術品、觀眾與建築之間多元互動的場域，並與人類情感產生共鳴，提供更廣泛且具普世性的議題探討。同時，在二○二○年後的網路時代，提供全面性資訊亦成為美術館的重要任務之一，例如藝術史、藝術家、藝術作品與社會議題之間的關係，在COVID-19疫情下更顯重要。
山梨俊夫亦提到，日本長年發展「全國美術館會議」，集結各地與各級美術館，針對不同議題進行討論，此類聯盟與長期經營的討論機制至關重要。
在疫情時代，若沒有觀眾的美術館，只是一座存放藝術作品的庫房。這意味著需有更多針對公共領域的討論。根據聯合國教科文組織與國際博物館理事會（ICOM）研究，全球約有八萬五千間博物館在疫情期間關閉，約占百分之十三。社交距離政策亦帶來龐大的經濟損失。
因此，在後疫情時代，已無法以過往形式思考美術館建築設計、展覽規劃與觀眾互動模式，需以靈活且有機的策略應對不可預期的危機。許多博物館在疫情期間透過創新且有趣的虛擬參與計畫，維持與觀眾及社群的連結，甚至激發潛在觀眾的參與。然而，建築、觀眾與藝術品的實體經驗仍難以被虛擬取代。
網路提供新的參與管道，但如何建立新的有機關係，仍是關鍵課題。回到臺北市立美術館的擴建計畫，無論是實體場館或虛擬參與的擴展，如何創新藝術近用、開發後疫情時代的觀眾群體，以回應博物館作為典藏、展覽與公共文化場域的核心價值，將成為未來的重要挑戰。
THOUGHTS ON MUSEUM EXPANSION-Creating Organic Relationship for the Future
This article was published in ARTouch & Investment, Issue 337 (October 2020): https://bit.ly/4v9hHA8
Over the past decades, the establishment of museums has flourished worldwide. In particular, major cities across different countries have continuously constructed or expanded landmark, star-architecture museum buildings, making museums an important symbol of urban identity. Beyond this, museum architecture plays a crucial role in shaping civic life and cultural identity, as well as driving urban development and tourism-related economic growth. Despite the impact of various global economic crises in recent years, the expansion of museums has not slowed, and the global art market associated with museums continues to thrive.
Looking back at the history of art museums in Taiwan, the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, established in 1983, has now been in operation for over three decades. It has witnessed institutional transformations across generations, as well as the evolution of Taiwanese art. However, today it faces challenges arising from increasingly diverse artistic practices and the aging of its architectural structure. Exhibition spaces, storage facilities, and the connection between the museum building and civic life all require timely renewal and adaptation.
Thus, originating from the 2014 municipal white paper “Cultural Dream Factory—Building a New Art Museum,” the Taipei Art Park project, including the expansion of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, was officially launched in 2018. The aim is to address operational challenges through expansion and to further root arts and culture within the city of Taipei. Following multiple public briefings and tendering processes, the environmental impact assessment for the expansion site was approved at the end of 2019. To draw on both domestic and international experiences in museum construction and expansion, four cross-national online lecture sessions titled “Beyond the Horizon: Museum Expansion Series” were held in August and September during the pandemic.
Speakers included Yuko Hasegawa, Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo; Chris Dercon, former Chief Curator of the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa and current President of the Réunion des musées nationaux–Grand Palais (Rmn-GP); Toshio Yamanashi, Director of the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and Barbara Steiner, who shared her experience with Kunsthaus Graz in Austria and the Galerie für Zeitgenössische Kunst (GfZK) in Leipzig, Germany. These lectures explored spatial strategies and infrastructural conditions of 21st-century museums, examining their social roles across different historical contexts. The notion of “connection”—between people, institutions, and environments—emerged as a central theme. Additionally, reflections on future museum practices in the (post-)pandemic era were discussed. This article therefore not only synthesizes these talks but also examines, from a historical perspective, how museum construction and expansion globally connect various actors, while reflecting on new challenges museums may face in the pandemic era.
National/Urban Development and Iconic Museum Architecture
National identity in modern states is often rooted in shared culture. Cultural identity depends on the transmission of unique traditions, heritage, and customs, which take various forms such as language, rituals, food, and dress, and are also embodied in historical artifacts and artistic creations. These objects, preserved in museums, weave narratives of historical change.
Yuko Hasegawa emphasizes that museum design must reflect its mission and identity, intended functions, cultural roles, environmental connections, and anticipated economic impact. Historically, public museums have been deeply intertwined with nation-building, as they cultivate a shared sense of public identity and serve as institutions of collective representation.
In many postcolonial contexts, museums have played a key role in highlighting local cultural identity and heritage, encouraging societies to move beyond colonial frameworks while presenting continuity in history and culture. This historical trajectory has contributed to the global expansion of museums. Whether through adaptive reuse of heritage sites or new expansions, this wave of regional heritage revival emphasizes local cultural characteristics and seeks to balance globalization through heritage. For example, in Bahrain, museums serve as platforms for negotiating modern Arab identity while showcasing global heritage. In such cases, museums become tools for articulating both national and global identities.
Furthermore, the emergence of “star architecture” in museum expansion projects—characterized by innovative and futuristic designs—has become a defining feature of this expansionist trend. These distinctive buildings and new exhibition spaces reshape the image and status of museums. Striking architectural forms not only enhance urban identity but also generate economic opportunities, making them central to contemporary urban development.
A notable example is Kunsthaus Graz in Austria, introduced during the 2003 European Capital of Culture program. Its biomorphic, “alien-like” appearance stands in contrast to the historic city of Graz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Located on the western bank of the Mur River—once associated with poverty, migration, and red-light districts—the museum was envisioned as a catalyst for urban regeneration. Nicknamed the “Friendly Alien,” the museum has, through long-term engagement with local exhibitions and activities, reshaped the city’s cultural atmosphere, economy, and daily life. Despite initial public opposition, its architectural innovation has become an iconic symbol, attracting galleries, hotels, and cafés, and contributing significantly to local revitalization.
Taipei, as a historic yet hybrid city of old and new, presents a different but comparable context. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum is situated near significant historical sites such as the Yuanshan archaeological site and Linji Huguo Temple, as well as Zhongshan North Road, a key axis from the Japanese colonial period. How to integrate the expansion project with its surrounding environment and respond to the historical context of northern Taiwan remains a critical challenge.
Museums Responding to Artistic Forms and Local Contexts
As mentioned, museums are dedicated to preserving heritage and collective memory, but they are increasingly viewed as strategic resources for urban development and innovation. Toshio Yamanashi highlights the relationship between diverse artistic practices and local contexts, using Osaka as an example. Under a system led by the municipal government, multiple museums have been integrated, including the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka, which collaborates with the National Museum of Art, Osaka to share collections and develop new programs, revitalizing the Nakanoshima district.
From the perspective of the creative economy, museum architecture is designed to attract public interest while also being reimagined as a site of knowledge production and dissemination. Contemporary museums must adapt to diverse forms of artistic production and respond to their environments.
At the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Hasegawa describes how the planning process involved re-examining local social contexts and artistic practices, aiming to create a space where the new and old coexist, fostering new cultural production and urban revitalization. Moving beyond the 20th-century model dominated by “Man, Money, and Materialism,” the museum emphasizes consciousness, collective intelligence, and co-existence, incorporating feminist perspectives. Through nearly a decade of planning, extensive discussions, and architectural modeling, the project developed a new museum model that is both organic and flexible, deeply connected to its local context.
Social Engine: The Interaction Between Bodies and Museum Space
Contemporary museums have evolved into open, hybrid cultural spaces. Beyond collection, preservation, and exhibition, they serve as visitor-friendly environments for culture, education, and creative production. As public spaces for education and cultural dissemination, museums increasingly explore the concept of the “experience economy” in their architectural design.
Chris Dercon uses theatre as a framework to rethink museum space, emphasizing that both the viewer’s body and artworks are entities. Museums thus function as spaces for learning, working, communication, and interaction, accommodating diverse public uses. Since the 1970s, museums have shifted away from authoritative models toward more inclusive public education spaces, enhancing accessibility and narrowing the gap between audiences and art.
Examples such as Tate Modern and the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa illustrate how architectural design fosters interaction between bodies, artworks, and space, creating new aesthetic experiences and encouraging public participation.
Challenges in the Post-Pandemic Era: Accessibility and New Organic Relationships
Contemporary museums serve as urban landmarks reflecting social contexts and as platforms for interaction among artworks, audiences, and architecture. In the post-2020 digital era, providing comprehensive information—on art history, artists, artworks, and social issues—has become increasingly important, especially under the impact of COVID-19.
Yamanashi also notes the importance of long-standing collaborative platforms such as Japan’s National Art Museum Conference, which facilitates dialogue across institutions.
During the pandemic, museums without visitors became mere storage spaces for artworks, highlighting the need for stronger engagement with public discourse. According to UNESCO and ICOM, around 85,000 museums worldwide were closed during the pandemic—approximately 13%—with significant economic losses due to social distancing measures.
Thus, traditional approaches to museum design, exhibition-making, and audience engagement are no longer sufficient. Flexible and adaptive strategies are required to respond to unpredictable crises. While digital initiatives have enabled museums to maintain connections with audiences and even expand participation, virtual experiences cannot fully replace physical encounters with artworks and space.
The internet offers new modes of participation, but the challenge lies in developing new organic relationships. Returning to the expansion of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, whether through physical or virtual means, the key question is how to innovate accessibility, engage future audiences, and uphold the museum’s role as a public cultural institution dedicated to collection, exhibition, and education.