Effects of daylight design features on visitors’ satisfaction of museums

Abstract

This study evaluates daylight performance in an art museum in İstanbul, Turkey to analyse the effects of daylight design features on visitors’ satisfaction in art museums. The study is based on users’ data obtained through a survey and daylight simulation achieved by Autodesk 3D’s Max 2014. A three-part questionnaire was conducted with 100 participants in overcast- and clear-sky conditions to rate visitors’ satisfaction with the museum and their importance level of daylight design issues in museums. The museum’s daylight illuminance data were measured on a scaled model by a computer simulation program. The statistical results and simulation renderings show that daylight design is a multi-parameter task. There are statistically significant correlations between visual comfort and visitor satisfaction. The study finds two essential daylight considerations for a practical guide to promote healthy and effective daylight use in museums: (i) that certain design aspects in a museum, such as location, window size and window distance from partitions or displays, are important regardless of weather conditions and that (ii) glare prevention from openings such as windows and skylights is also a crucial aspect in visual comfort.