A Spatial Optimization Evaluation Framework for Immersive Heritage Museum Exhibition Layouts: A Delphi–Group AHP–IPA Approach

As heritage museums shift toward more experience-oriented development, fragmented layouts and discontinuous visitor flows can reduce both spatial efficiency and the coherence of on-site experience. This study proposes an immersive experience-centred evaluation framework for exhibition layout in heritage museums, intended to translate experience goals into practical and diagnosable criteria for spatial optimization. An indicator system was refined through two rounds of Delphi consultation with an interdisciplinary expert panel, resulting in a hierarchical framework comprising five dimensions and multiple indicators. To support intervention prioritization in design and operations, weights were derived using the Group Analytic Hierarchy Process (GAHP), with Aggregation of Individual Judgments (AIJs) and consistency checks applied to control group judgement quality. A CV–entropy procedure was further used to support prioritization at the third-indicator level. Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA) was then employed to convert “importance–fit” assessments into an actionable sequence of optimization priorities. The results indicate that narrative and scene design carries the greatest weight (0.2877), followed by circulation and spatial organization (0.2281), sensory experience and atmosphere (0.1981), authenticity and sense of place (0.1644), and interactivity and participation (0.1217), suggesting that a “narrative–circulation–atmosphere” chain forms the core support for immersive layout design. A feasibility application using the Yinxu Museum demonstrates the framework’s value for benchmarking and diagnosis, helping decision-makers enhance visitor experience while respecting conservation constraints and more precisely target spatial investment priorities.