I see absolutely no reason why museums and other cultural sites should not be designed in such a way as to make them more pleasant to visit, wit h decent cafes and restaurants offering good food, coherent signage, and well-presented collections. I have always liked the idea of a museum layout which combines a general path the public can follow to see the 'hits' of a collection with more contemplative backwaters for serious academic study - similar to the brief for a grand plan which the Victoria and Albert Museum gave to the architect Michael Hopkins.

Something of this approach is evident in the new Glass Gallery at the V&& where the space is split into two levels. The mezzanine floor is filled with display shelves packed with glass, while the ground floor is a more spacious area where cases highlight spectacular examples supported by more considered captioning. The mezzanine, Co-designed by glass artist Danny Lane and the gallery's architect, Penny Richards, features Lane's glass balustrade, a dramatic and evocative design that heightens the pleasure of viewing the collection. Intelligent planning has ensured that 80 per cent of the collection is on view, with background information supplied on computer terminals and touch-screen videos. Instead of rows of badly lit Victorian mahogany cases, the displays have a sparkling transparency which convey the excitement of the material. The result is both a simpler, more coherent plane to study glass and a wonderful place to visit.

© Terence Conran 1996