How do you design a museum that moves beyond the icon towards a place of social interaction?

Originally built to showcase valuable artifacts, the contemporary museum as a building is impeded by its own physicality. Our design sought to break down the museum’s barriers with the surrounding landscape, separating each gallery into its own separate building.

The resulting mass becomes harmonious with the surrounding texture of the city, while promoting activity to the street level and spilling the artistic culture of the museum onto the streets. A large public space connects the historic canal with the fabric of the city, running underneath the galleries to create a free flowing relationship between the present and future landscape of the city. 

The activity generated by the placement and design of the museum becomes the spectacle value. At Buenos Aires, activity becomes the place defining element of an edifice and its urban surrounding in a demonstration of the anti-icon. 

Location
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Status
Competition

Typology
Culture, Public

Year
2012