18 September 2011 - British Museum - London Stepping away from the gritty images of London I've been posting lately, here we have a light and airy view of BM, British Museum. I've studied museums from half way around the world and my favorites are always the ones with grandiose front end court yards. The New Mexico Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque is a great example of how it can work in a small place. But when it comes to being amongst the best in the world, few match the grandiose style of BMs Great Court. I love it when the curators/designers have tons of space to work with and yet they resist the temptation to cram every nook and cranny with artifacts and signs. I like it when museums leave you plenty of room to breathe. BM does that well. The galleries are rich and loaded, but if you need escape space, and you will, you can always get on the stairs and get to the Great Court. Here the play of geometric dark shadows on the clean expanse of white marble was just enchanting. The spiral sweep of the stairs played beautifully against the tight linear architectural lines. It was well populated, but not even close to being full. That is BM. It gives you that bit of space in a crowded city. Nikon Coolpix S9100, f3.5, 1/800, ISO 160 Previous London

"Neighbors"