Quantifying the Impact of Adaptive Space and Inclusive Design on User Experience in Exhibition Halls: A Mixed-Methods Study in Wuhan, China

Abstract

As exhibition halls become highly adaptable and technology-driven, they risk excluding aging demographics due to cognitive barriers. Addressing the empirical gap regarding this tension, this study validates a quantitative evaluation model based on the User-Space Interaction Framework. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, survey data from two contrasting cultural venues in Wuhan, China (N = 312) were analyzed via ANOVA and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Findings reveal a “technological adaptability paradox.” Visitors over 60 experience significantly higher cognitive load in highly adaptive spaces (F = 35.42, p < 0.001). SEM confirms that while technological adaptability increases cognitive load (β = 0.56, p < 0.01), robust inclusive spatial cues act as a psychological buffer. These cues significantly enhance perceived control (β = 0.62, p < 0.001), which emerges as the strongest predictor of overall user satisfaction (β = 0.71, p < 0.001). Ultimately, this research shifts the evaluative focus from static physical compliance to measurable psychological outcomes, providing an empirically validated framework for architects and policymakers to balance cutting-edge spatial flexibility with multi-generational inclusivity.