Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89

Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Arch, ColumnContemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - BrickContemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Windows, Door, Facade, Arcade, Arch, ColumnContemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Beam, Arch, ColumnContemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - More Images+ 14

  • Quantity Surveyor: José Castro
  • Installations Engineers: Alejandro Cabanas
  • Collaborators: George Smudge, Andrés Pino
  • Architects In Charge: María González, Juanjo López de la Cruz
  • City: Seville
  • Country: Spain
More SpecsLess Specs
Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Windows, Arcade, Arch, Column, Courtyard
© Fernando Alda

Text description provided by the architects. The intervention interprets the building where is inserted, an old convent, as a context in constant transformation over time.

Constructive Section

The project arises from a reflection around the creation process in contemporary art, its unpredictable condition and the current dissolution of limits between the space of production and exhibition.

Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Brick
© Fernando Alda

We can recognize that much of contemporary art expression understands the architectural space as a matter of work (we remember Shibboleth by Doris Salcedo breaking the floor of the Tate Modern in London in 2007, High Plane V by Katterin Sigurdardottir occupying the false ceiling of the PS1 in New York or Esto no es un graffiti where artists demolished some facings of walls in the same place of our project). We think the contemporary exhibition space shouldn’t be projected like a static room in time but like a neverending space in ellipsis, waiting for each exhibition come for completing it.

Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Beam, Arch, Column
© Fernando Alda

The intervention is projected like a variable and reversible space. The walls and ceiling will be covered by slats of wood, the separation between them will allow see the original brick walls, showing the textures of the bricks and the wounds caused by centuries that we have discovered in this first phase, that narrate time builds too as in Yourcenar’s quote. At the same time, this wooden structure overlapped to the ancient walls will allow the acces to all installations in any point of space.

Exploded Axonometric

Our intervention will act as an initial installation in the space rather than a architectural construction. A temporary display related to the existing volume that enables the development of future exhibitions and could be disassembled like one of these, revealing what is truly valuable in this old building in a patrimonial sense is the matter, space and light rather than styles or decorations.

Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89 - Beam, Column, Handrail
© Fernando Alda

Project gallery

See allShow less

Project location

Address:Seville, Sevilla, Spain

Click to open map
Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Contemporary Art Space in the Old Convent of Madre de Dios / sol89" 21 Mar 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/607981/contemporary-art-space-in-the-old-convent-of-madre-de-dios-sol89> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.