From Data-Centric to Sensory-Informed Smart Cities: Older Adults’ Digitally Mediated Museum Experiences in Istanbul

Museums serve as experimental spaces for smart cities. The hypothesis suggests that museums can offer insights into transitioning smart cities from a mainly data-centric model to one that emphasises sensory experiences. This qualitative study investigates how digitalisation shapes the sensory experiences of museum engagement among older adults in Istanbul, with a particular focus on how digital tools mediate embodied, sensory experiences in museum environments. A case study was conducted at Istanbul Modern, employing sensewalking as a mobile, sensory method to capture embodied perceptions during movement through space. Data analysis focused on four sensory modalities—visual, auditory, haptic and olfactory—and their interaction with museum digital interfaces. The findings reveal a predominantly visual museum experience, where lighting design and the legibility of digital labels enhance orientation and interpretive clarity. Auditory engagement is shaped by layered ambient sounds combined with digital audio content. Haptic experiences emerge through both material textures and interactive digital interfaces, while olfactory perceptions remain subtle. Importantly, digital tools extend engagement beyond vision by introducing complementary auditory and haptic layers, thereby enhancing accessibility for older users. The study situates its insights within broader discussions of age-friendly, accessible museum design and practices of the smart city.