How Culture Helps Human Flourishing

What does the museum of tomorrow look like? What conditions allow cultural institutions to thrive in today’s world? As two of the world’s most iconic museums – The Met in New York and the Louvre in Paris — reimagine their galleries and evolve to meet the challenges of the future, they have both turned to the same visionary architect: Kulapat Yantrasast, the founder and creative director of WHY Architecture. Join Yantrasast for a lecture on his inclusive and sustainable design philosophy and his compelling vision for the future of museums as sites of empathy, “where people of all backgrounds come to experience and appreciate many diverse cultures and ways of life.” He will explore the evolution of the museum, from a temple of art to a dynamic cultural playground and will discuss his approach of “acupuncture architecture,” demonstrating how thoughtful, sensitive interventions and renovations can have profound, transformative effects, forging connections across times and cultures.

Drawing on examples from some of his major museum and cultural projects – such as the Grand Rapids Art Museum in Michigan, USA; the Perm Opera House and Ballet Theater in Russia, ilmi Science Discovery & Innovation Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Dib Bangkok international contemporary art museum in Thailand, and his ongoing work at The Met and the Louvre, Yantrasast will offer insight into how architecture can shape cultural institutions that foster human flourishing.