The Metropolitan Museum of Art 81st Street Studio is a science and art play space for children. Designed in partnership with KOKO Architecture + Design and conceived by Heidi Holder, The Met's Frederick P. and Sandra P. Rose Chair of Education in consultation with departments throughout the museum, the 3,500 square-foot interactive space invites the museum's youngest visitors to explore, discover, and interact with art and what it's made of. The space was designed to encourage co-creation, haptic and collaborative experiences, and learning through doing. Each media element includes unique content and interactions, which dovetail with the overall interpretive aims of the project.

Understanding both the scientific properties and the artistic potential of materials is a fantastic entry point for children to understand and appreciate art. Integrated within a curving form are interactive touchscreens exploring three materials: clay, metal and wood. Each screen offers engaging activities enabling children to playfully compare materials, discover fun facts about material properties, and see real world examples of how artists use these properties to create objects. An adjacent microscope allows children to look at these materials up close. Together, these experiences encourage close looking and scientific investigation.

At the center of the 81st Street Studio is a form that resembles a tree. Beneath this tree is a digital station inviting visitors of all ages to make and play. Leveraging camera vision and projection, the station offers two interactive activities. First, visitors can use hands-on tools to carve their own "woodblock," then create virtual "impressions" of their design in projected light with different colors, patterns, and other attributes. The second activity guides visitors to design physical drums, and then use digital tools to play them in a variety of styles.

Across the back wall of the space is an immersive, multi-user interactive visual playground that celebrates how artists use light and color. The installation features a dynamic projection wall and light table. Here, children experiment with patterns and art images, using different modes—color, shadow and distortion—to playfully explore optics, the behavior and properties of light, while creating unique and mesmerizing visual displays.

Hidden throughout the space are what Heidi Holder, the museum's Chair of Education, describes as 'subtle magic.' These are unexpected visual surprises that reward discovery and close looking. Small eyes peer out from unexpected places; as visitors approach, the eye blinks, before offering a delightful surprise from The Met collection for those paying close attention. These displays hint at the experience of visiting the full museum, where there is always something more to discover and explore.

The Met has long been dedicated to fostering a lifelong love of learning and art in children. The 81st Street Studio is a free, safe, and first-of-its-kind space that encourages children ages 3 to 11 to play, make, investigate, think critically, and problem solve. This interdisciplinary and multisensory drop-in discovery suite supports science learning in everyday life through art and materiality.

Since the opening on September 9, 2023, the 81st Street Studio has welcomed over 42,000 visitors. We welcomed 3,000 people during the opening weekend and have since averaged 700 visitors per day.

Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art shares "Education is a critical—and very exciting—part of The Met's mission, and we are proud to open the extraordinary new 81st Street Studio and further advance our role as a tremendously engaging resource for local and global communities. We are grateful to Bluecadet for their contributions in making the space an interactive learning experience for children."

As is often the case in developing non-traditional user interfaces, user testing was critical in developing the Art Tech Tree's camera based projection mapping interface. Developing a robust system to detect users' hands, large and small, as well as three dimensional objects and the subtle patterns drawn on top of them was a major challenge. Through multiple phases of user testing, iterative development and refinement, we were able to construct a fun and memorable experience for users to play with.

This space represents a new venture for The Met. Previously utilized as a children's library, it was not designed for play or interactive activities specifically aimed at young visitors and their families. Although the institution has hosted drop-in programs for families, these were confined to specific times and formats. Transitioning to a space focused on exploratory learning marked a significant change for both the institution and its staff.

Collaboration across departments has been instrumental in enhancing the team's understanding of The Met's collection and how the space could be utilized. Contributions from the Scientific Research and Conservation departments have been particularly enlightening, offering deep insights into the materials and practices associated with wood, metal, and clay objects within the collection. This knowledge has been crucial in adapting the space to engage younger audiences effectively. Scientists and conservators have shown great enthusiasm for this initiative, recognizing its potential to connect with their laboratory work.