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Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI)

Architecture

Lima, Peru 

64,500ft² / 6,000m²

Competition 2016

Images /
Drawings
A proposal for the new contemporary art wing for MALI brings localized clarity and resonance to multiple focal points across the museum and the larger Parque de la Exposición site. The cultural significance of the Palacio de la Exposición tempers the presence of the new wing, which demands its own identity despite being nearly entirely below grade.

A structural and conceptual grid organizes the proposal with repetitive inversions of two mirrored ellipses. The geometric character of the ellipse allows the new contemporary art wing to stand in contrast to the rectilinear mass of the historic Palacio. This formal distinction allows the new wing to achieve an iconic identity while being significantly less visible than the Palacio.

The grid is composed of reinforced concrete vaults cresting just above ground level at the plaza. The exposed concrete shells and interwoven walkways are experienced as an undulating and layered field condition. Below, intersecting vaults nod to the Palacio’s arched repetition and create a spatially charged environment for the classrooms and Great Hall, while the hollow cores of each vault reach down to bring daylight into the galleries beneath.