28.2.11

Museo Soumaya

by FREE Fernando Romero:



“Museo Soumaya” was conceived as a sculptural building that is unique and contemporary, yet serves to house a collection of international paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects dating from the fourteenth century to the present. From the outside, the building is an amorphous shape that inspires different perceptions in each visitor, while on the inside the museums varied topology reflects the diversity of the collection. The shell of the building is constructed with steel columns of different diameters, each with its own geometry and shape, offering the visitor non-linear circulation. There are 16,000 square meters of exhibition space divided among six floors, as well as an auditorium, a café, offices, a gift shop, a multi-use lobby, and storage space. The top floor is the largest space; its roof is suspended from a cantilever that allows natural lighting. The building s façade is made from hexagonal aluminum modules facilitating its preservation and durability.
-joel