Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Scotland. I took a day and traveled to Glasgow where you can find some of the biggest hitters in architecture all within a kilometer of each other. The Clyde Auditorium (Armadillo) and SSE Hyrdo both designed by Foster and Partners, are right next to one of the best looking museums in all of Europe – The Museum of Transport / The Riverside Museum design by the one and only Zaha Hadid.
As you approach this massive zig-zagging monolith, it’s interesting to note that the Riverside Museum actually takes its form from its context. Situated where the Kelvin joins the Clyde, the museum flows from the city to the river symbolizing this electric connectivity between the exhibits which it houses and the surrounding environment.
When you enter the museum you can feel the open and fluid space that connects you to the context of the architecture and the content of the exhibit material. Both exterior and interior are profoundly interlinked which guides the viewer throughout the exhibition spaces.
Like most museums it is packed with over 3,000 objects on display there’s everything from skateboards to locomotives, paintings to prams and cars to a Stormtrooper. But unlike other museums, you can walk through Glasgow streets and visit the shops, bars, and subway. And even climb aboard a train, tram or bus and get a real feel for old public transport.
Richelle Sibolboro 