Buenos Aires, Argentina
1997
Competition Design

The project brief required a design for a small museum and the redesign of an unsuccessful urban plaza. We discovered through our model studies that regardless of its form — even when radical — the museum as an isolated edifice appeared insignificant against the neighboring high rise apartment buildings.

To counter this condition, we directed our strategy towards strengthening the quality of the place as an urban element and blurring the distinction between museum and park and landscape and architecture. The symbiosis between art and nature could then present itself in a form as the Park of the Republic of Peru plaza connects with the spaces of the museum.

The rectangular Republic of Peru Plaza is elevated to take in and cover the rooms of the museum. Beneath the large, ascending roof the collection is presented freely along a path. One can imagine a path in the park which continues through the exhibition, providing a way along the paintings and graphics and view connections to the city and park.

The large, geometric form of the park is divided into fields with various themes relating to plantings and use. The existing trees of the plaza are preserved and supplemented by a grove of trees, formal gardens and fields of flowers. Pleasant pathways, park benches beneath trees and a water pool invite one to linger and enjoy the grounds’ qualities.

In the park special events can take place and works of art can reach out into the park — park and museum flowing into one another. Perspective views for the tall, surrounding buildings across to the park and its gardens are very pleasant — not unlike viewing a painting which alters itself with the change of the seasons.

Credits

Behnisch Architekten