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National MuseumBackground New Zealand's new national museum Te Papa opened in February 1998 after ten years' planning. The museum sees its role as the "forum for the nation", and aims to change people's perceptions of museums through a range of experiences such as an outdoor park, a working marae and virtual reality entertainment. Prior to opening, the museum requested C Watson Consultancy Limited to undertake a "soft opening" Post Occupancy Evaluation, documenting the impressions of 60 people on two preview days when most facilities and exhibitions were already operational. The aim was to test the building's functionality, trial daily operations plans, gather feedback and identify any important changes to be made before the official opening. Findings Participants were very enthusiastic about the building's waterside location and views, interior spatial qualities and the exhibitions themselves. However, C Watson Consultancy Limited made more than thirty "high-priority" recommendations, all of which were implemented prior to opening. Some of the issues raised included:
Overall, participants reported a very positive visitor experience, and made favourable comparisons between Te Papa and European museums. 98 % said they would revisit Te Papa. Client Comment Soon after Te Papa officially opened, Bill Tramposch and Christine Fitzgerald, senior managers at Te Papa, said of the Post Occupancy Evaluation: "There was a richness of information, and without it at that time we would not have been able to serve visitors as we can today... We learned a great deal about what the visitor experience was going to be like once we opened and the improvements we needed to make in this final window of opportunity prior to opening with regard to our facilities, service and experiences."C Watson Consultancy Limited has subsequently carried out two further evaluations of specific areas within Te Papa.
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