Check out this TED talk by Joshua Prince-Ramus. He and his architectural firm have designed a number of cultural spaces through a process he calls hyper-rationality, by listening to the needs of the space and providing the flexibility in which to serve the public. I was particularly struck by his responsiveness to the social aspects of these culture centers – one of which is a museum – and by the way in which architecture was not the star of the show, but in service to the greater mission.