Stories from the Field

Hong Kong Public Libraries re-opened the Hong Kong Central Library on May 6, 2020 and partially re-opened six others. The libraries are open for borrowing and returning of items only and public computers, study rooms, and room rentals are not available. The number of visitors to the buildings is monitored and tickets are distributed for hour long sessions. Between each session the building is closed for cleaning.
The American Alliance of Museums has developed a Sample Reopening Plan for the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, which suggests some strategies for preparing facilities and for managing the visitor experience in spaces for children.
Crowd Solo is an app that has been developed by Holovis, an experience designer, for theme parks, zoos, museums and cultural centres to monitor capacity and ensure physical distancing is being upheld.
Almost every major contract furniture manufacturer features products and sample office layouts that support safe distances as well as barriers between coworkers and the people they serve. Haworth, Steelcase, Teknion are three examples.
For textiles, Healthguard, a company that specializes in anti-dust mite and anti-fungal protection for textiles, is testing a treatment that could potentially be used on soft furnishings that would kill the COVID-19 virus. Most healthcare upholstery lines feature some antimicrobial protection and there will be more research on how furniture finishes can protect people from viruses like COVID-19.

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