Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/37

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
THE ARCHITECTURAL PLAN
19

ranged by placing the offices near the front door in such a way that a door leading from the vestibule gives direct access into one of the offices.The rooms then open, one into another, with possibly a private corridor, and this in turn opens into the museum. When the new museum buildings in Berlin are completed, the plan of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum will be much more rational in this respect. At present the only entrance is from the west and all the offices of the staff are in the east end of the building. Later it is planned to make accessible the doorway in the east end. which at present is blocked by the construction of the new building. Thus it will not be necessary for the public to pass through the museum, although it would be more convenient to do so. The National Museum in Munich has a large tower at the entrance and from the vestibule a special staircase leads to the Director's rooms. In this tower also are the library and a smoking room for the use of the staff. The grand staircase separates this tower from the main building. In this way the danger of fire, incident to the work of an office is removed from the museum building, and yet there is a ready means of access from each of the offices into all parts of the building.

If the plans for the new Historical Museum