Another proposal for “Contemplating the void” (all the proposals featured at ArchDaily here).
Entitled “State Fair Guggenheim”, the proposal by Chinese firm MAD uses a floating habitable balloon, located at the top of the void, to mediate between interior/exterior:
“As the core of the museum, the spiraling rotunda inherits the classic relationship between human and the divine. The delicately glazed domed roof transforms the natural light into distilled radiance, allowing the visitors to feel the distance from the mystical, and reverence to the sublime. Wright designed the continuous ramp encouraging visitors to ascend, becoming closer to the light with each step; however, one would find himself bounded by the glass ceiling at the top of the ramp. The anti-climactic ending to this experience seems to hint at advancement to the future of this rotunda. ”
In “STATE FAIR GUGGENHEIM, the glazed ceiling of the domed roof will be replaced by a giant translucent balloon-like form that floats along the boundary between interior and exterior. It is a platform where people can reconnect with nature, sky, and city. The museum guests are not just surrounded by art work; they can also enjoy fresh air from central park and rediscover perspectives of the city. The continuous surface on the inside the balloon will serve as displaced space; a unique and innovative response to the contemporary art.”
“STATE FAIR GUGGENHEIM will complete the dream of the museum, to bridge art, the city and nature, a connection that is both light and borderless. It will be the new meeting space for citizens and visitors of New York. “
