The paradox of access: The 21st century museum confronted by its security

Abstract

Access is a key element for an architectural work. In museums, access takes on special significance due to the connection between two very different worlds, and it is therefore associated with an ‘access ritual’, in which three parts can be considered for study: preliminary, liminal, and postliminary. Recently, the enforcement of security elements has been implemented differently and in distinct parts of the entrance, which, in many cases, breaks the flow of passage. To analyse this situation, we have examined the seven most visited museums in the world and two emblematic cases in France, where the ‘ritual of passage’ is contrasted with security elements, in order to reflect on how to link security elements to museum access.