MotionLab in Technical Museum
November 21 , 2023
The students at motionLab01 continued their search and study of moving technologies at Prague Technical Museum. Guided by Marie Markova from TM, the studio looked at the Watches section to understand the development of time measurement from sundials to centralised pulse clocks. The unique Transport section followed, and the development of moving vehicles and their starting mechanisms, engines, fuels and tyres was discussed with their guide. The exposition also includes the development of designs for bicycles, motorcycles, boats, and train locomotives. Suspended in the air are examples from flying machines up to current aircraft. Apart from following the design of moving vehicles, the purpose of the visit was the relationship between automotive and aircraft design development and architecture. From the fascination of Modernists with automobiles and flying machines up to the propagators of „High Tech“ from the 1970s till today. The transfer to the architectural design of neoprene gaskets from bus design, fretted glass, motorcars, or new car body alloys to the guiding sensors in contemporary vehicles. Discussed was also a partly devastating impact of car transport on the quality of life in contemporary cities (sorry, Corbu!). The telling relevance of motionLab’s focus on the design of moving systems was the presence of the maintenance crew carefully cleaning hanging exhibits with a Genie® Z®-33/18 articulating electric boom lift!
Because of the size and the number of exhibits and exhibitions at the Museum, the motionLab01 students were encouraged to make the collection part of their free time destination.